Obituaries

GREG LOWE   On May 13, 2017 Greg passed away at home after an extended illness at the age of 59.    Greg was born in Winnipeg and spent his formative years in Kenora where he developed a life-long affection for Lake of the Woods and Kenora people. After high school Greg attended Music School at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. From there he started playing music as a career and he never stopped. Greg and Josephine met in 1979 at an event where Greg was playing with Ron Paley’s Fusion Band. The attraction was immediate and lasting. Greg was a skilled jazz guitarist, composer and producer. His professional career is well documented online. He was appreciated throughout the music community for his talent, his professionalism, his serenity, his sense of humour and his balance. He was recognized for his dedication to his craft and for his creativity. He showed up well-rehearsed and ready to play. He was a solid contributor and supporter. A performance or a project was always about how good the gig could be.    It was never just about Greg. His genuine interest in others attracted him to all kinds of people. Like Will Rogers, he never met a person he didn’t like. Greg spent his summers with Josephine and Tosca the dog, on their boat The Yellow Pelican on Lake of the Woods. Over the past few summers, Greg developed an interest in film and this year he produced the second of two videos about Lake of the Woods entitled The Eastern Shores – A History By Water. Greg felt privileged to work in Kenora, on the Lake, with the talented team that came together to make these videos. This was to be his last artistic project.    Greg is remembered by his partner Josephine; his mother Tillie; his brothers, Jim (Jean) and Patrick; his sister Jackie (Greg Tallon); his sister-in-law Lynn McClure (Peter); his brother-in-law David McClure (Claudia); nieces and nephews, Robin, Alec, Anna, Julia, John Paul, Christine, Kevin, Scott and Mark and a large and loving extended family. Greg was predeceased by his father Bill, an amateur musician himself, who took pride in Greg’s musical accomplishments.    Greg loved Josephine, his family and friends and his work. Greg loved the skin he was in. Throughout his life, he worked on projects and with people that he truly enjoyed and appreciated. He was attracted to, and he attracted, the best people in the business.    Greg told us in his final days that he had accomplished what he wanted to accomplish and that life had been very good to him. Greg had so much music in him. This world is a better place because Greg was here.    A celebration of Greg’s life will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Wojcik’s Funeral Chapels & Crematoriums, Winnipeg, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204.897.4665 www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com