Donald "Don" Lowden

Donald "Don" Lowden of Middletown, RI passed away peacefully on September 29, 2016 at the age of 78. He was surrounded by his kids, grandkids, and brother through the end. Don was born on October 18, 1937 in Newport, RI as one of seven children to Marie Beaupre. His father was Earl Kenneth Lowden. He had a difficult childhood as a ward of the state and ultimately dropped out of high school and ran away to join the Air Force at the age of 17. After 22 years of service around the world (including three stints in Vietnam) and the conclusion of his first three marriages, he retired from the Air Force and moved to the rolling hills of rural Kansas to raise his three boys. He was a self-starter and tireless worker, running his own ill-conceived businesses and working as a service employee for several others. After a couple more marriages and 11 years of a fruitless search for a decent cup of chowda in Kansas, Don abandoned his quest and returned home to Rhode Island. He quickly met Dolores "Del" Gomes, his sixth wife, who proved to be his true life partner and preceded him with her passing in 2011. Through Del, he also inherited another five children, whom he has fully embraced as his own for the past 28 years. Don was a complicated man. His trademark soft heart and hard head made him frustrating and beloved at the same time. He was generous to a fault as he freely gave of his time and money to anyone in need, including perfect strangers. He was equally generous with his opinions. Don was prone to delusions of grandeur as he fancied himself to be an expert on virtually every topic. He was never wrong and never made a mistake... about anything... ever. The curious combination of razor sharp elbows coupled with extraordinary compassion were at the core of what made this man exceptional. Don despised Fox News, Shawn Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh. He believed Donald Trump to be the personification of evil itself, with lima beans running a close second. His fashion statements usually consisted of velour and polyesters, but he always tried to look sharp with his white belt, ascot cap, and white suede shoes.Don never met a fraternal organization he didn't love. Over the years, he has been a member of the Elks, Masons, Shriners, VFW, American Legion, and Knights of Columbus, to name a few. He also believed it was his civic duty to serve his country and community alike. He supplemented his military career with service as a police officer, city councilman, and volunteer fireman.But the true love of Don's life was his family. He overcompensated for loveless upbringing as a foster child by constantly expressing his love to his family. He is survived by his children: Michael Lowden (Michelle), David Lowden (Dawne), Alan Lowden (Cheryl), Bob Peckham (Donna), Donna Ruhle (Phil, RIP), Deborah Peckham (his brah, Kyle Periera), Dawn Costa (Greg Cunha), and Sharon Coughlin (Gary). He is also survived by his brother, Kenneth Lowden (Nancy), as well as 15 grandkids, 12 great-grandkids, 2 great-great-grandkids, and his faithful canine companion, Corrin. He was also stepfather to Les Houston and Sheri Long.In addition to his wife, Del, preceding Don in death were his older siblings, Bobby Bullock, Dorothy Braswell, Paul Miller, Norman Lowden, and Warren Lowden, and an infant son, Will Lowden. A private service will be held on Monday, October 3rd, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Shriners Hospitals for Children (www.shrinershospitals.org). Cemetery Details Newport Memorial Park Vaucluse Avenue Middletown, RI,