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Albert C. Lowes, a legend of the legal community of Southeast Missouri, died peacefully on Dec. 9, 2019, of complication after a fall. He was 87 years of age.
Albert could only be described as one of a kind. He was hard-charging, hard-working and cigar smoking. He peppered his speech with unique expressions and colourful language. He was also honest, loyal and an aggressive advocate for his clients and his community.
Albert was born on December 1, 1932 to Guy E. Lowes and Lillian Tuschhoff Lowes on a farm near Oak Ridge, Missouri. His early years were marked by the tough economic times of the Great Depression. He fondly recalled that his father would shoot squirrels early in the morning to provide his family with breakfast. He graduated from Perryville High School in 1950. He joined the US Marine Corps almost immediately after his graduation.
Albert would later describe his time in the Marine Corps as one of the two seminal influences of his life. The Marines sent him to Korea in 1952, as the secretary for two two-star generals. During his time as a Marine, he handled court martials and top-secret dispatches as well as various other responsibilities. He often joked that his most hazardous assignment was waking the general in the middle of the night whenever events dictated it. Albert was very proud of the fact that he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant after only 35 months in the Marines. He was discharged from the Marines in 1954 with a passion to pursue a legal career.
Albert attended Southeast Missouri State Teachers College, as it was then known, and graduated from law school of the University of Missouri-Columbia in early 1959, less than 5 years after he started his university education.
It was during his time at Mizzou that Albert experienced the other seminal event in his life. He met Peggy Rae Watson, an energetic and determined journalism student. He was able to convince Peggy to relocate to Southeast Missouri and to become his wife. They were married on August 27, 1960. Their union lasted until her death on September 2, 2016.
Upon his graduation from law school, Albert joined the law firm of Robert M. Buerkle. The two remained associated professionally for nearly 25 years. In 1984, Albert decided to form the partnership of Lowes & Drusch with Walter S. (“Sam”) Drusch. This partnership lasted 31 years until both men retired in 2015.
Albert considered himself to be a trial lawyer and he was very proud of it. Most lawyers and judges of his era can tell many an amusing story about Al in the courtroom or with one of his clients. His expressions were legendary. Some family favorites include: “born tired” (lazy); “choir practice” (time at a bar); “dead soldiers” (empty beer bottles); and “drunk box” (breathalyzer for measuring blood-alcohol levels). During his legal career, Albert tried more than 400 jury trials, and with assistance of other attorneys, he handled more than 150 appeals.
Albert participated in a number of civic and community activities. He was a member of the Missouri Bar, the Cape Girardeau County Bar, the Eighth Circuit Bar and the Federal District Bar. He was active in many Masonic orders, including Excelsior Lodge #441 in Jackson and the 32nd Degree Royal Arch Masons in Cape Girardeau. He was also a member of the Cape Council, the Cape Commandery, the Knights Templar, the Moolah Shriners of St. Louis and the Scottish Rite Valley of the Orient in St. Louis. He was a lifetime member of the VFW in Cape Girardeau and the American Legion in Jackson. Albert was charter member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.
Albert took great pride in his family. Albert and Peggy were blessed with, and often challenged by, their three children: Danita Rae Lowes, Albert Charles Lowes II and Kurt Brandon Lowes. All three obtained both bachelor and graduate degrees. Danita is a long-term resident of Sydney, Australia. Albert lives in Oklahoma City and Kurt resides in Chicago. Their children blessed them with 4 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren and 1 step-great grandchild. Danita is the mother to Hayden, Blake and Zara Fite as well as stepmother to Nicole Bennett-Fite. Albert and his wife, Susan Starkey Lowes, are the parents of Ashley Whiting and grandparents of Bastion Whiting. Kurt and his wife, Crystal Kennedy Lowes, are the parents of Ascher Lowes.
In addition to his children and grandchildren, Albert is survived by his siblings (Guy Lowes, Jean Paden and Mary Lowes) and a sister-in-law (Jeanne Lowes). He is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife. Albert is now at peace with his “best buddy”.
Visitation was on Monday, December 16, 2019 at Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral was Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home with Rev. David Roth officiating. Entombment will be at the Memorial Park Mausoleum in Cape Girardeau. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. They can be reached via www.chmfoundation.org/donate-now/ or (313) 993-8815 or Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, 3901 Beaubien-Mailslot 257, Detroit MI 48201. Alternatively, memorials can be directed to the VFW in Cape Girardeau via their website https://www.vfwpost3838.org/donate
