Angie M. Lowry
On February 2, 2023, Angie Lowry, a loving wife, devoted mother, loyal friend, successful businesswoman, and world's best Gigi, passed away peacefully at age 74.
Angie was born on June 12, 1948, in Sale, England to Sidney and Connie Oldfield. She married Peter Lowry on March 21, 1970, and together they raised two daughters, Emma and Lucy. In January 1979, the family emigrated to the United States to follow Peter's corporate career, settling first in Maine and then Virginia.
When their girls were young, Peter travelled extensively for business, so Angie worked in professional roles that allowed her the flexibility to balance work and family. This included working in banking, accounting, and sales positions. Then, in 1989, she bravely decided to turn her lifelong passion for interior design into a career and purchased a Decorating Den Interiors franchise. Over the next 30 years, she built a highly successful business, obtained certification from the American Society of Interior Design, and rose to the top of the company through achievements every year for her talent and sales. Friends became clients and clients became friends as she worked with literally thousands of clients with the goal of achieving the company's mission to “make the world more beautiful one room at a time.”
Angie and Peter loved to travel and during their 52 plus years of marriage went to over 32 different countries and 42 U.S. states and territories. While she loved exploring new destinations, Angie was happiest relaxing on a beach and bathing in the sun. She was a wonderful and creative cook and passed those skills along to Peter and the girls. She also loved all kinds of music and was an avid concert goer, including the Beatles in her teen years, the Rolling Stones a few years ago and dozens of other major performers. Her last concert was Michael W. Smith in November 2022. Her all-time favorite, though, was John Denver who she saw three times and listened to constantly. In her final days we would play John Denver music in the hospital, and you could see her lips moving to the songs.
On moving to Smithfield in 1993 Angie and Peter joined Christ Episcopal Church and became actively involved in the parish through volunteer work and leadership roles. They also became very active in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia through the Cursillo Movement and were fortunate to visit the associated Diocese in St. Thomas. Angie also served several terms on the Board of Directors for Chanco on the James, a retreat center and summer camp for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia and was an active member and past-President of the Kiwanis Club of Smithfield.
Everything Angie did was with enthusiasm, dedication, and heart. She was deeply committed to her family, her business, her community, and her faith. She was very social and loved meeting new people and spending time with friends. She worked extremely hard and was always busy, but was generous with her time, talents, and resources. She always did everything she could to brighten the lives of those around her. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her only granddaughter, Sarah, of whom she was immensely proud. Angie was a breast cancer survivor and demonstrated incredible determination, optimism, and resilience during her treatment, as well as later as she lived with Alzheimer's disease. She was a remarkable woman who was loved beyond measure and will be deeply missed. Angie was preceded in death by her mother Connie, father Sidney and an older brother Michael, who died before she was born. She is survived by husband Peter, daughters Emma and Lucy, son-in-law Laurens, granddaughter Sarah, and her beloved black lab Ellie Mae. An only child with no cousins, her only family in England is Peter's sister Chris, husband Rod and their family. The family is grateful for the excellent care provided to Angie by caregivers from Home Instead and the amazing Palliative Care Team and Nursing staff at Riverside Regional Medical Center. Following a private cremation, the family will hold a Celebration of Life Service at Chanco on the James at 3:00 p.m. on March 18, 2023. In lieu of flowers, donations in Angie's honor may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Chanco on the James, or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Arrangements in care of Cremation Society of Virginia - Newport News Office.