Tom Lowrie — Westport’s “Mr. Pickleball,” an avid member of both the Sunrise Rotary Club and Y’s Men, and a longtime Westporter who during several decades here touched many friends, neighbors and strangers’ lives — died yesterday. He would have been 98 on Friday.
The former architect was passionate about many things — especially pickleball. He was a driving force behind construction of the Compo Beach courts, and introduced countless residents to the game.
Tom Lowrie posed for the Westport Library’s “I geek…” campaign with — of course — pickleball gear. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
Tom’s energy was infectious. Nearly 3 years ago, he celebrated his 95th birthday by going skydiving.
It was his second time. He went skydiving for his 9oth birthday too.
Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella was one of many residents honoring Tom at his 97th birthday last summer. Andrew offers these thoughts:
Every town is fortunate to have a few people whose impact extends far beyond titles or accomplishments. Westport had one of those people in Tom Lowrie.
Tom’s passing marks the loss of not just a respected resident, but a man whose quiet leadership, generosity, and unwavering commitment to community left an enduring mark on our town.
A graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Tom enjoyed a distinguished career as an architect after serving our nation in the US Navy.
Lt. JG (Ret.) Tom Lowrie (center), with VFW Post 399 quartermaster Phil Delgado and fellow Westport resident Bob Terrerno look at a photo of Lowrie’s radar aviation squad.
Yet those achievements tell only part of his story. Those who knew Tom understood that his greatest passion was never personal recognition — it was building community.
For decades, Tom quietly gave his time to Westport through volunteerism, civic engagement, and organizations such as the Westport Sunrise Rotary. He approached every conversation with kindness, humility and optimism. Whether discussing town issues or welcoming someone new to the community, Tom always made people feel heard.
Tom Lowrie, promoting the Sunrise Rotary Club’s Great Duck Race.
In recent years, Tom became synonymous with one of Westport’s fastest-growing recreational activities: pickleball. Long before the sport became a national phenomenon, Tom recognized its unique ability to bring people together across generations. He championed new courts, encouraged beginners, mentored players, and helped transform a small group of enthusiasts into a thriving Westport pickleball community.
His advocacy was never loud or divisive. It was thoughtful, respectful, and persistent. Tom believed that recreation strengthens communities, friendships matter, and public spaces should serve everyone. Those values helped shape Westport’s recreational landscape for years to come.
Tom’s handmade and hand-delivered manila envelopes with his drawings, full of detail and description, were not only thoughtful, but of immense care and deep belief to improve and enhance Westport for all.
It was fitting that the town of Westport honored Tom during his lifetime by naming the Compo Beach pickleball area the Lowrie Courts.
Tom Lowrie at the pickleball courts dedication, with Andrew Colabella and his daughter Anne Lowrie.
It was more than a dedication ceremony. It was our community expressing gratitude to a man who had devoted years to making those courts, and the relationships formed on them, possible.
But Tom’s true legacy is not found on a plaque.
It lives in every new player welcomed onto a court, every friendship formed over a game, every volunteer inspired to give back without seeking recognition, and every reminder that leadership can be accomplished with grace instead of ego.
Tom Lowrie showed us that one person, armed with kindness, perseverance and a genuine love for community, can leave a town better than they found it.
Westport is richer because Tom Lowrie called it home.
In 2012, Tom Lowrie was runner-up in the Longshore Men’s Golf Association tournament.
May we honor his memory not only by remembering what he accomplished, but by striving to live with the same generosity, humility and unwavering commitment to others that defined his remarkable life.
Family, friends, neighbors, and all whose lives were touched by Tom are invited to celebrate his remarkable life on what would have been his 08th birthday — this Friday, July 3 — at 6 p.m., at the Lowrie Courts at Compo Beach.
Please bring a beach chair and your own refreshments as we gather to share stories, memories, laughter and gratitude for a man who gave so much to Westport.
It is a fitting place to honor Tom — surrounded by the community and the courts that stand as a lasting testament to his vision, dedication, and love for bringing people together.
Tom’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of Westporters.
A pickleball cake for Tom Lowrie’s 90th birthday …
… and skydiving for his 95th, with Peter Donovan and Bob Mitchell.
As a YMCA board member and then trustee, Tom was a respected voice, always. He dove into large projects such as the YMCA’s expansion and relocation plan, even though at the time, it was a “hot stove” issue for many town residents. He undertook more humble projects too. Tom spent months in the pigeon infested attic of the Bedford Building poring through YMCA memorabilia from the 1920’s onward and compiled memory albums filled with photos and newspaper articles all, meticulously organized in chronological order. It was a project he took particular pride in. Tom’s daughter Anne, continued in his footsteps of service when she painted a beautiful mural in the downtown Brophy Pool, depicting fish that represented all of the levels of the YMCA swimming program, from inia to porpoise. It’s gone of course now, but the memories of service to many, by both Tom and Anne, will remain in our hearts forever.
Thank you Tom and thank you to his family for keeping him connected to us all!
Tom you will be missed all over Westport it was good to no you you did a lot for our town