Roland Chester Lowe “Ron”
Oct 18, 1931 - Sep 30, 2017
Ron was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Roland Chester Lowe (Sr) and Hazel Dorothy Lowe (maiden name Morse), and had 2 brothers and a sister, Ted, Lester and Sandra.
After graduating from high school, Ron had no intention of going to college so he enlisted in the US Navy. At one point Ron was the honor guard for President Harry S. Truman. However, after one and a half years in the Navy, Ron contracted TB and received an honorary discharge. After being in a sanatorium for 2 years and not being cured, he took a then recently invented drug called streptomycin and this cured him. While at the sanatorium Ron evolved a new love of reading and this inspired him to pursue higher education. Contracting TB was a turning point in his life. Ron went to UMass where he met his wife to be Joan Barclay, eventually having two children, Bill and Lauren. After UMass, Ron attended graduate school at Clark university and finished with his doctorate in Psychology. Ron’s love of adventure and travel took the family from Massachusetts to Hawaii where they lived an idyllic island life for three years. Eventually they settled in Palo Alto California. Ron worked initially at the Children’s Health Council at Stanford, the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, and in private practice. He then worked the rest and longest part of his career as the head of the Psychology Department at Santa Clara University. Ron was instrumental in developing the Department of Psychology at the university and later became a tenured Professor of Psychology, Emeritus. After being married almost 25 years, Ron and Joan separated. Ron never remarried and lived out his life in Palo Alto and the East Bay. He loved reading, golf and travel during this time. Ron would travel almost exclusively to Europe, especially London, Paris, Provence, Rome, Scotland and Ireland. He loved to discuss history, World War II, Darwin, Dawkins, theology, existentialism, Freud and Maslow. He always appreciated a healthy discussion/ debate.
Ron is survived by his brother Lester, Joan, two children, Bill (and wife Kristine), Lauren (and husband Mike), and 5 wonderful grandchildren, Allyn, Andrew, Ryan, Megan and Rachel…and an incredible group of Ron’s East Coast extended relatives, nephews and nieces whom we spent many a professor’s summer vacation with.
Ron’s ashes, per his request, will be scattered at sea, and this will be followed by a family celebration of life and remembrance.
The family would like to thank all the folks that provided care for Ron over the last few years, especially: The Heritage Point in Walnut Creek, Brookdale in Danville, Manor Care Tice Valley, and lastly Hospice of the East Bay and Lafayette Care Home where Ron passed peacefully over the week with family and beautiful views of a garden yard with a stand of pine trees, as he would have wanted. Ron always loved planting redwood and pine trees wherever we lived.
The family requests any donations in Ron’s name be made to Hospice of the East Bay, https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/development/ donations.