John "Johnny" Lowe, Jr

John "Johnny" Edward Lowe, Jr., 97, a true American Patriot, war hero and loving husband, father and grandfather passed away Wednesday afternoon, August 9, 2017, at his residence. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 14, 2017, at Milford Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Sunday, August 13, at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro.

Johnny was born on February 23, 1920 in Dallas, where he was raised, to Sarah “Sadie” Blue and John Edward Lowe, Sr. In 1938, he graduated from Sunset High School and later attended North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington, now University of Texas at Arlington.

Johnny enlisted in the United States Navy in September of 1941. He was assigned to the USS Neosho, a Navy fleet tanker, which sailed from San Pedro to the Hawaiian Islands. The Neosho docked at Pearl Harbor on December 6. Johnny had finished breakfast on the morning of December 7, 1941 and was eating an orange getting ready to go on the 8:00 gangway watch. He saw planes coming in the harbor very low and he first thought it was just routine training. That changed very quickly as Johnny was hit immediately by machine gun fire from a Japanese fighter plane. After four months of hospitalization in San Francisco, CA, he was returned to duty. He was wounded once again by shrapnel at Roi-Namur, part of the Marshall Islands action. On November 24, 1945, he was released from the Navy. Johnny was the recipient of two Purple Hearts. When the war ended, Johnny went to interview for 52/20 benefits and was hired to interview other veterans for the benefits.

He joined the Texas Department of Public Safety as a member of the State Highway Patrol in 1947. Johnny graduated from the Texas Highway Patrol Class #11 3rd Platoon. Being in the Naval Reserve, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and served as Chief Investigator for the Naval Depot in Guam from May 1951 to October 1952. After returning from Guam, he joined the US Marshal Service in 1954. He was one of the Marshals in 1962 that escorted James Meredith into the University of Mississippi at Oxford, MS. He received many accolades and in 1966 Johnny received the Sustained Superior Award from the United States Attorney General for the outstanding performance of his duties. He retired in 1978 as the Supervisor Deputy US Marshal for the Dallas office in the Northern District of Texas. Through the years, he has done numerous interviews with the media about his remarkable life.

On March 28, 1946, Johnny was united in marriage to Geneva Deese. The couple settled in Milford in 1973. He was a Mason and a member of Scottish Rite.

Preceding him in death were his parents; beloved wife of 67 years, Geneva Lowe on June 11, 2014; and two sisters, Maureen Raskin and Rosemary Phillips. Survivors include his two sons, John A. Lowe and wife, Kristen, of Arlington and Dwight Lowe and wife, Renee, of Waxahachie; and three grandchildren, Brad Lowe and wife, Leigh, Morgan Owens and husband, Kyle, and Katie Lowe.

Memorials may be made to The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex-Waxahachie Corps, 620 Farley St., Waxahachie, TX 75165.

We will miss you John Edward!

Visitation

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ,Sunday, August 13, 2017
Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro
2495 Corsicana Highway Hillsboro, TX 76645

Graveside

10:00 AM ,Monday, August 14, 2017
Milford Cemetery
Milford, TX 76670