Obituary: Sara Ann Lowther

As received from the  Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes:

Decatur GA/ Houghton

Sara Ann Lowther, a former Houghton resident, passed away in Decatur, GA on May 26, 2020 She was a scientist at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), serving in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service with the rank of Commander.

Sara was born October 21, 1974, the daughter of Biruta Lowther and the late John L. Lowther.

She was a graduate of Houghton High School and the University of Michigan. She received a Master in Public Health degree from Emory University and a PhD in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University.

Sara began her career with the USPHS as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer assigned to the Minnesota Dept. of Health. Following EIS, she worked as a researcher in the division of viral hepatitis, and then moved to CDC’s Global Immunization Division. Sara’s work took her to Pakistan for polio immunization programs and to Kenya and other parts of Africa.

In Kenya she served as GID’s program director for polio immunization activities and then as resident advisor and mentor for Kenyan field epidemiology training as part of the CDC Division of Global Health Protection.

Sara took joy in ballet and latin dance, nature photography, and learning about gardening. She loved animals, especially her two English Cocker Spaniels. She enjoyed visiting the nature preserves in Kenya and the orphaned elephant shelter near Nairobi, where she adopted a baby elephant.

Sara is survived by her mother and brother Edward Lowther, aunts Liga Lacis and Priscilla Lowther, uncles Andrew Lacis and Peter Lowther, and cousins David Lacis, Irene Lacis, Gretchen Lowther, Gail Lowther, and Gloria Hartley.

She will be missed by friends and colleagues from around the world.
A scholarship in Sara’s memory has been established at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

A graveside service will be held 12:00 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at the Forest Hill Cemetery of Houghton with Pastor Peter Norlin to officiate.

To view Sara’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.

The Memorial Chapel of Hancock is assisting the family with arrangements.