Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Lowell Benson Bailey was born in 1936, to Mary and Dewey Bailey in Haskell, Oklahoma. He was raised with one brother, Dewey Jr., and three sisters, Betty, Wanda, and Naomi. His mother ran a second hand store, while his father worked as a painter. Lowell had a difficult childhood, as it was the time of Great Depression. He started working at the young age of nine to help support the family. Lowell's early work to help support the family before they moved to California included picking cotton and work as a gandy dancer (maintaining rail track). In the 1940s, the family moved to Compton, California, seeking new job opportunities. In high school, he was a fine athlete, but gave it up to work in the grocery store to support his mother. He also began sweeping floors at Lane & Roderick in high school. Lowell graduated from Centennial High School. He went on to Long Beach City College, attending night school while focusing on becoming a sheet metal apprentice. When he was 19, he was dating a girl named Sandra Hayden, but he jumped ship to date her 14-year-old sister Sue. Lowell and Sue fell in love and they became sweethearts, as they had a lot in common. The couple traveled with Sue's parents to Texas to get married in 1955.

Sue and Lowell welcomed the births of their four children: Don, Dan, Tim and Wendy. Early on, Sue stayed home with the kids while Lowell worked three jobs. He worked one job during the day, another job during the night, and a third job on the weekends, until settling into one job for six days a week. The family first lived in Compton. One day when Don was about 4, Sue had burnt her hand on the iron and swore, just once. But the rest of the day, that four-letter word was all Don could say, and he was still saying it when Lowell got home. Lowell was very unhappy about it! Lowell never yelled or swore in front of the kids. Lowell taught the boys how to use handguns properly, and took them deer and dove hunting. Don remembers the time up in the Eastern Sierra they saw deer the day before hunting season began, but not one, once hunting season started. Another time, they saw the tail end of a deer and tracked it carefully, but missed a left turn the deer made. At age 6, Don remembers helping his dad work on the Model A he had in the garage, together with Dan, in jumpsuits Sue had made for them. Years later, they worked together redoing the patio and other chores. The family went on to rent a duplex and then moved into a Long Beach home with three bedrooms and one bath. The family later settled into an upper middle class home in the El Dorado Estates in Long Beach. While Lowell was working, the kids learned a strong work ethic helping at home by mowing the yard and cleaning the house. Sue sewed clothes for the children and she made pizza and macaroni and cheese from scratch. It was a big treat for the kids to go to the movies once a year, as they each liked getting a can of soda pop. Lowell left for work before the kids got up in the morning, but he was home for dinner every evening. The boys worked with Lowell on Saturdays, helping to clean the floors at the shop. They especially loved making a run to the Yellow Basket to get pastrami sandwiches and French fries. Lowell would make breakfast for the boys of bread and milk. The bread was put under the broiler with butter and sugar, then torn into milk. It was a Depression-era breakfast treat that Lowell fed them so Sue could sleep in. When Don was 8 or 9, Lowell still had a second job, and would take the boys in with him on the weekends to work to give Sue a break, and they would have great Greek food for lunch there. They made root beer floats on Friday nights. And, all of the kids remember Lowell eating sardines and crackers.

The family enjoyed holidays together such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. The kids especially loved incredible Easter Egg Hunts and receiving Easter Baskets. On Sundays, the kids dressed up to attend St. Timothy's, a Lutheran Church. Lowell was always a quiet man with a strong moral character. He was greatly respected and he always did the right thing. Lowell was a man who led by example. When the boys picked up newspapers for recycling, Lowell drove the truck around to all of the pick up spots. When the boys were involved in boy scouts, if he couldn't go camping or backpacking with them because of work, he made sure to drive the boys to camp and pick them up at the end of the trip. He was an involved father and supportive of his kid's interests.

There were wonderful vacation memories over the years. Lowell borrowed a camper from his friend, Ray, at work. The family would load up the camper and travel to the Redwoods, up the coast, or go to Big Sur. There was a special visit to Lake Louise in Canada. The family spent one night in a hotel in Canada and the kids thought it looked like a palace. Everyone enjoyed listening to the bagpipes play at the hotel. There were also trips to Yosemite and Yellowstone. The family usually spent two weeks every summer enjoying a vacation. They'd take a tent or sleep in the camper. Those vacations were quality family time spent together. The kids have huge wonderful memories of those times and even remember Lowell conserving gas, by turning off the engine and coasting down the hills. He couldn't understand waste. When they went on vacation, Lowell would grow his beard out, but that tradition ended when it started getting too gray. Lowell was also a man of strength. When Don and Dan were 14 & 15, they raced Lowell for more than 50 yards, and Lowell won! He always made sure his kids were safe. In high school, Don went with Dan and Donnie McElroy backpacking, but Don took a fall and couldn't hike out. Lowell hired a helicopter, and flew all over the mountain looking for them. He loved his kids so very much. He was always the caretaker.

Barbara remembers meeting Lowell when she started dating Don at the age of 16. Lowell was about 38 at the time. Sometimes he'd take them out to eat and she remembers being a little shocked at how he teased and joked with the wait staff, especially if they were female. The Baileys always had a bit of a bawdy sense of humor and Lowell could make Barbara blush without even trying – but he was trying!

At home, Lowell liked having pets and enjoyed the family Beagle, Gidget, and later Sue's dog, Pebbles. No matter what was going on in his life, Lowell was a man who showed his love for his family in every way. When Tim played at Cal, Lowell traveled to every game across the United States. He even went to Florida to watch the game while the humidity was 90% and it was 103 degrees.

Professionally, Lowell worked his way up in the sheet metal business rising from mechanic to shop foreman to estimator to general manager. Then, he became half owner of the business and worked together with his son, Dan, for 20 years from 1976 to 1996. Lowell and Dan got along well and were co-owners of Lane & Roderick, providing sheet metal fabrication and production. He was always proud of the work he accomplished.

In February 1996, Lowell suffered a heart attack and that was the last day he worked as he retired. Less than a year later, Sue died unexpectedly. It was very difficult for Lowell after her death because he was planning to have fun with his wife in retirement. After Sue's death, Lowell used to eat almost weekly at Barbara's parents' home. That meant so much to them. The family was grateful that Wendy moved in with him for a few years as they developed a strong relationship. Yvonne's family always had Lowell and Wendy to their homes for holidays and considered all the Baileys part of the family. When Wendy got married, he was dressed up and was so proud to walk her down the aisle. He bought a beautiful condo to make a fresh start, as Wendy stayed in the family home in Long Beach.

In 1999, his life took a turn when his daughter's fiancé introduced Lowell to Willie. Lowell's first meeting with the beautiful Willie was at the Fish Company. When she saw he was carrying flowers behind his back, she knew this was the guy she had been waiting for. Then, he didn't return her call for six weeks. He had gone on a trip to Wyoming. After returning home, he did call Willie and she was so happy to hear from him. He was very concerned about what his family would think. When Lowell and Willie attended a sand building contest at the beach, Dan and Yvonne saw them holding hands, but Lowell immediately dropped Willie's hand when he realized he'd been spotted. The entire family wanted him to be happy. She brought out the best in him. When Willie bought him a blue marble heart, he was shocked when she said, "Lowell, I really love you." He put the heart in a prominent place on the buffet. She remembers Lowell always looked best dressed in blue, as it highlighted his beautiful blue eyes. Over the years, they traveled together on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera and to Costa Rica, swinging from the trees on the Zipline. They also went to Wyoming, Hawaii and enjoyed a special trip as a gift from the family to Paso Robles in wine country. The couple has been together for the past ten years.

For his personal hobbies and interests, Lowell loved playing poker and he was very good it. He liked to play poker at the casinos in Gardena. He also liked to play pool and darts. He felt most comfortable at casual bars because he said those people were real. Lowell liked country western music and he liked listening to classical music with Willie. His favorite treat was Lemon Meringue Pie. His favorite restaurant was the Fish Company and he enjoyed having a glass of red wine. One of his favorite wines was Two Buck Chuck and he still had a case of it.

Lowell also liked to read mysteries and country western books. To have a greater understanding of men and women and a better relationship, he read "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus." With Willie, they spent every dinner together and he'd call her in the evening just to say, "I love you." Willie and Lowell were lovers and best friends. He became more demonstrative and expressed his feelings more often as their relationship progressed. They enjoyed spending time together. Willie remembers Lowell was such a quiet, gentle man who appreciated everything. He was also a wonderful family man.

On a special Valentine card to Willie, Lowell wrote:

Your lips are red
Your eyes are blue
You're the sweetest thing
I ever knew
With love and kisses, Lowell

As a grandfather, Lowell was the best. Shauna and Torrey remember he always said, "I love you." He always picked them up, did fun things with them such as Bullwinkles, and attended their birthday parties. Lowell always made the grandkids laugh. Skylar always enjoyed it when he made spaghetti and sausage, frozen grapes or gave her salty nuts as treats. When the grandchildren were young, he let them use their hands, get messy and be kids. He loved playing games with the grandchildren and always had a box of special toys and treats. Wendy and Skylar took him to their community garden recently, and he loved it as it brought back memories of the things they planted as the kids were growing up. Lowell was such a caring person; he even loved feeding the squirrels. He'd go on walks and talk about the squirrels at the park. Lowell had a love of the outdoors and nature.

Lowell always liked teasing family members. In more recent years, he seemed surprised that it was no longer so easy to tease his daughter-in-law Barbara and make her blush because she could hold her own. She and Yvonne shared that Lowell and Sue quickly made them feel like one of the family. Barbara recalls that when talking on the phone, Lowell would end the conversation by telling her or Don to give the other a hug or a pinch or a kiss, or all three. Barbara always waited in suspense for what she'd be getting. When she described Lowell to others, the word she always found fit best was to say he was a prince. Without stuffiness or pretension, he was quietly compassionate, extremely ethical, and truly kind. He was extremely generous in every way. He worked hard to express his love, and succeeded in making everyone in the family feel so loved. Though they lived apart, Barbara and Don always knew he was there and would do anything for them. It will be a lonelier world without him.

Lowell will be remembered as a man of integrity and a man who earned great respect. He was revered. He was also a talented person. He often said, "When you leave this world, integrity is the only thing you have." His customers were devoted to him for decades. They truly liked him and appreciated him, as he was an honest businessman who took care of them. Lowell also had a great sense of humor, as he liked to laugh. He had an ability to be straight-faced, even when he was teasing family members and making them laugh. He would be happy just eating sardines and crackers, while he enjoyed watching a good football game on TV.

Over the last year, he worked out with therapy bands and gained a new lease on life. He was strong, his grip was solid and he had big guns, as his biceps were huge. He enjoyed time spent with Willie and time spent with his family at every turn. For his most recent birthday, Willie surprised him with red tulips at his home. Then, he went to the pool hall for his birthday, where Willie brought in three-foot Subway sandwiches and a cake to celebrate his birthday. He loved it so much that he had tears in his eyes. He called his son, Tim, telling him how much he enjoyed his wonderful birthday. Dan checked on him on Tuesday, which led to hospital care. He called Willie and said, "I love you," and the last thing he said to Dan was, "I love you," from his hospital bed. He loved all of his family members with all of his heart. There are many things that Lowell had been planning. Willie and Lowell had planned to go to the big island in Hawaii in October. Meanwhile, Lowell, Dan and Boyd had planned a trip next month for Wyoming. Lowell was looking forward to the trips. Now, there are so many wonderful memories of a man who was strong and rebounded so many times to enjoy life again. Lowell was a man who believed God was in everything. His family hopes to be reunited with him one day. Lowell will be laid to rest in his best suit with the blue marble heart in his hands.

Lowell Bailey will be remembered with great respect and with a smile. His family will miss that good feeling of spending time with him. Lowell was someone everyone in the family could rely upon, anytime, anywhere. His advice to his friends and family would be to enjoy every day…

Lowell was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Dewey; siblings Betty, Wanda and Dewey Jr.; and wife Sue. He is remembered by his best friend Willie; son Don and his wife Barbara; son Dan and his wife Yvonne; son Tim and his wife Tanya; daughter Wendy; grandchildren Shauna, Torrey, and Skylar; and many friends.