James R. Lowther

James R. Lowther, 59, Altoona, died Wednesday after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born in Altoona, son of the late James M. and Mary (Behers) Lowther. He married Susan Edna Britcher on Aug. 31, 1974, in Altoona. Surviving are his beloved wife of 37 years; five children: Timothy A. Lowther and wife, Kristen, of Shirley, Mass.; Janessa (Lowther) Travis and husband, Harold, of Carlisle; Jeremy W. Lowther and wife, Angela, of Salem, Mass; Amy M. Lowther of Carlisle and Gregory E. Lowther of Beverly Farms, Mass; four grandchildren, who he loved dearly: Hanlon Grace Lowther and Finnegan James Lowther of Shirley, Mass., and Audrey Susan Travis and Grace Ann Travis of Carlisle; a sister, Sharon (Lowther) Newsome of Augusta, Ga; and stepmother, Dolores Lowther of Altoona. He was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas E. Lowther. James graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He was the area coordinator for Child Evangelism Fellowship, South Central, Pa., since 2010 and worked in printing sales for Damin Printing since 2010. Prior to this, he owned Instant Printing Center on Byron Avenue for 25 years. James was also the creator and director of ADEPT Inc., where he worked to develop environmentally sustainable printing processes. He had a keen desire for learning and developing new solutions to everyday problems. In addition, he was a talented inventor and recently worked with the Messiah College Collaborative on developing solutions to problems affecting developing countries. James was a member of First Baptist Church Altoona, since 1971, where he served as church deacon, trustee and Sunday school teacher. He was also a member of Gideons International and formerly served on the committee for Young Life, Blair County. James' life was anchored by his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he worked to share this faith with others in all of his endeavors. He greatly enjoyed traveling with his wife, being with his children and grandchildren and exploring new places and museums. He will be deeply missed by all of his loved ones. Friends will be received from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 13, 2012, at First Baptist Church, Altoona, where a funeral service will be held at noon. Interment will be in Blair Memorial Park, Bellwood. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in James' memory to: First Baptist Church Altoona, 1209 17th St., Altoona, PA 16601; CEF South Central PA, 1616C E. Pleasant Valley Blvd., Altoona, PA 16602; and/or the James R. Lowther Young Inventors Scholarship, c/o Timothy Lowther, 1 Derby Drive, Shirley, MA 01464. www.maukandyates.com