Martin A. Lower

Martin Avery Lower, 71, of Naples, Florida, and Wilbraham, Massachusetts, passed away on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. He will be missed by his loving and devoted family, his daughters, Deborah (Mark) Wandzilak of Waxhaw, NC; Pamela (Barry) Bass of Potomac, MD; Rebecca (Michael) Collins of Bedford, NH; Cynthia (David) Hudson of Bedford, NH; and his grandchildren: Janna, Elena and Drew Wandzilak; Jeffrey, Carly and Allison Bass; Zachary, Rachel and Reese Collins and Avery and Riley Hudson. He is survived by his brother, James (Sue) Lower of Leesburg, FL and his sister, Sally (Francis) Sheehan of Skaneateles, NY, as well as cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Roberta Dosh Lower, who died December 10, 2007, his mother, Nancy Morgan Lower and father, Martin Edward Lower.
He was born in Syracuse, New York, and spent his childhood in Baldwinsville and Solvay, New York where he started dating his wife, Roberta, at age 13. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College, class of 1960 and theTuck School of Business. His business career included employment at Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, OH; Booz, Allen and Hamilton in Chicago, IL; and Ludlow Corporation in Needham, MA. He was the proud owner of Ludlow Textiles, a textile manufacturing company in Ludlow, MA from February 1983 until its sale in March 2005.

He spent a lifetime enriching the lives of those around him with his love. He demonstrated his impeccable character every day in both his business and family life. He loved golf and played three times a week up until his death. He was a member of Wyndemere Country Club in Naples, FL and Longmeadow Country Club in Longmeadow, MA and a past member of Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, MA. He also enjoyed curling for many years as a member of Brae Burn and Broomstones Curling Clubs. He worked tirelessly for the Dartmouth College Alumni Fund and enjoyed staying in touch with his friends and classmates. He was also a trustee emeritus of Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Please send memorial contributions to The Roberta D. and Martin A. Lower Fund 09630 ℅ Dartmouth College, 6066 Development Office, Hanover, NH 03755.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Fuller Funeral Home, 1625 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, Florida. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at a later date.

It is with great sadness and grief that I send this email to tell you that my very dear friend and our beloved Classmate, Marty Lower, passed away this past Wednesday, December 16th, in Naples, Florida. The cause of death has not yet been ascertained, but when he missed a scheduled golf game, his partners came to check on him and found him slumped over the steering wheel of his car at his home. An autopsy is being performed. I have talked with both his brother, Jim, who is a Dartmouth '63 and with his oldest daughter's husband to volunteer to help in any way possible. Marty did not seem to have any health problems, enjoyed a family Thanksgiving in North Carolina with his 4 daughters and their families and was scheduled to spend Christmas with his brother Jim's family in Leesburg. Florida. No funeral plans have been made at this point

While Marty's spirits seemed to improving per his brother and son in law, he never seemed to overcome the grief of losing Bobbie two years ago. They were exceptionally close and were integral to the fabric and family of Dartmouth and The Class of 1960. Marty was a great Class leader, both formally as Head Agent and Class President and informally as a leading songster at our various reunions. His energy, enthusiasm and gregarious personality will be sorely missed whenever we gather going forward. He was one of the good guys!

Martin Avery Lower, of Naples, FL and Wilbraham, MA passed away on December 16, 2009. He came to Dartmouth from Syracuse, NY, was active as a member of Alpha Theta and then completed his MBA from Tuck under the 3-2 plan in 1961.His favorite piece of real estate in New Hampshire was The Hanover Golf Club where he honed a golf game that provided business and social enjoyment throughout his life. Later on, he and his wife, Bobbie, who passed away in 2007, were members of Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, MA, where they were also active in curling, and the Longmeadow Country Club in Longmeadow, MA. Marty started his business career with Proctor and Gamble followed by time at Booz, Allen Hamilton and the Ludlow Company before becoming the owner of Ludlow Textiles in 1983 which he sold in 2005.

Dartmouth was a consuming interest for Marty. He and Bobbie had two daughters and three sons in law attend Dartmouth with a granddaughter scheduled to become a member of The Class of 2014 this fall. He was an active leader in his Class participating regularly as a Class Agent before becoming Head Agent in1985. He was tireless in his quest of raising money for Dartmouth and enjoyed the opportunity this provided to be in touch with myriad Classmates. He became Class President in 1990 and during his 5 year term The Class of 1960 was named "Class of the Year" in 1991 and he was named "Class President of the Year" in 1995. Informally, Marty was our leading songster around the piano at our many reunions and class gatherings. His energy, enthusiasm and gregarious personality will be missed whenever '60's gather going forward. He and Bobbie were integral to the fabric of Dartmouth and The Class of 1960.

December 16, 2009 Martin A. Lower