Gordon Douglas Lowe was born on April 16, 1950, to Pauline Gabbard and, as best anyone could determine, Winston Lowe… we think.
His father was something of a mystery—appearing mostly in name and later reappearing under variations that hinted at aristocracy or generational wealth. None of it checked out. Gordon only seldom saw him. He grew up mostly only hearing stories of his father—many of them under different names—which may have contributed to his independence and his instinct to question a good story.
His mother, a mail-order bride from Kentucky—not the exotic European origin one might expect, but no less determined—raised him through what would now be called a difficult childhood. At the time, it was simply called life. Gordon did not dwell there. He moved forward, and he kept moving.
In March of 1972 he met the love of his life, Barbara Billington… a feeling that was not entirely mutual. After waiting a year to try again, chance had reunited them back together. Gordon wanted to get married on the 4th of July, but Barb convinced him to wait, tying their future to the arrival of Comet Kohoutek, declaring that if they were still together when it passed in December 1973, they would marry.
They were. So, on December 28, 1973, he took Barbara to the courthouse and made it official. (The comet, famously underwhelming. The marriage, not.)
Gordon spent many years working as a maintenance mechanic at Aspirus Wausau Hospital—back when it was Saint Mary's and Memorial Hospital, and later as it became Aspirus. When the new facility was being built, Gordon worked third shift and took full advantage of the freedom that comes with it, occasionally riding a skateboard through the halls—because sometimes efficiency looks like momentum, and sometimes it just looks like fun.
Although he was not a doctor, Gordon delivered all four of his children at home—working at the hospital, he had a general sense of how things worked and saw no need to call for backup.
He worked overtime when needed—picking up factory labor and other jobs along the way—but work was never what defined him.
What did define him, at least in part, was a deep and enduring love of history and politics. Gordon had a remarkable ability to produce obscure facts at exactly the right (or wrong) moment—earning him, in family circles, a reputation not unlike Cliff Clavin. Whether you asked or not, he likely had an answer—and if he didn't, he had a theory.
He loved motorcycling and boating, though his boating skills were… ambitious. Backing up a trailer remained a lifelong challenge, and at least one outing ended with a near miss and the confirmed loss of an iPhone.
On a family trip to the Green River in Colorado, Gordon found himself caught in the current. Assessing the situation, he calmly waved to his family and called out, "It's been nice knowing you." His family, unwilling to accept this conclusion, shouted instructions from shore until Barbara delivered the most effective one: "Mike, you're a Boy Scout—save your father." With some effort, a tree branch, and a renewed commitment to staying alive, Gordon made it out.
In 2006, Gordon was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The progression was long, but his response never changed. He did not complain. He did not dwell. He kept going.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their four children: Anza D'Antonio (husband Jason) and their children Kara McLaughlin (husband Sean, 2 children Lilah and Liam), Mario, Dorthea, and Valentina; Michael Lowe (wife Heidi) and their sons Torin and Thomas; Paula Lowe (daughter Matilda); Francine Askew (fiancé Chris DeJoie) and her children Isaiah and Evangeline Askew. He is also survived by a very naughty cat named Bobby, who remains unapologetic.
Gordon had an unwavering faith—not loud or performative, but steady. It shaped how he lived, how he endured, and how he loved. Through the long progression of Parkinson's, it gave him peace that did not depend on circumstances.
He believed in God, trusted in His promises, and lived his life with the quiet assurance that this world was not the end of the story.
That faith is the inheritance he leaves behind—carried forward in the lives of his children and grandchildren.
And now, having finished his race, he is home.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Gordon Saturday May 2nd at Trails End Bar from 1:00-3:00 pm.
