Julia Anne Graves (Lowry) 1930-2017

Anne Lowry Graves died peacefully Thursday, September 14, 2017, in an armchair at her son's house, two weeks after escaping the flood waters of Hurricane Harvey which ruined her own home.

She was born in Murray, Kentucky on July 10, 1930, to Clifton Sigsbee Lowry and Lillian Jones Lowry. She grew up in Murray and earned her B.A. in English from Murray State University in 1950.

There she met Richard Hardin Graves and married him on July 29, 1950; they shared their lives for 62 years, until his death in 2012.

In 1954 they moved to Houston and, in 1957, purchased a new house in the Meyerland neighborhood, which was her home for the next 60 years. She and Richard were early members of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, and in 1958 Anne joined the faculty of St. Thomas’ new school as a teacher of English and Latin. During her 50 years of teaching, Anne became Dean of Women and head of the English Department. Her greatest satisfaction was opening to generations of high-school students the joys of learning and the mysteries and beauty of language, literature and art; she inspired in them a confidence and enthusiasm that would often carry them into their own career and life choices. She retired in 2010.

St. Thomas' Episcopal School honored her service with a plaque carved with the words to the school song, which Anne wrote and set to the tune of one of her favorite folk songs, "The Ash Grove."

Anne’s passions were broad and deep, and her knowledge and skills were many. In childhood she was drawn to language and poetry, and she did much writing and acting in her youth. She read voraciously, engaging with great minds from many cultures, informed by her abiding Christian faith. She spent many hours in wild places, where she had a sharp eye for hard-to-spot flowers and birds. She mastered calligraphy and needlepoint, and later quilting: she designed and sewed many quilts for relatives and friends, each with a theme specific to its recipient. She loved animals (and they returned her love), especially her Basenji dogs. At one point seven dogs lived in her house and would walk with her in the evenings and travel with her to dog shows around the country. For many years, she served as secretary of the Basenji Club of America.

She is survived by her three sons and their wives: David and Michelle Graves of Houston, John and Nancy Graves of Houston, and Paul and Nina Graves of Kerava, Finland; by eight grandchildren: Christopher, Matthew, Richard, Samuli, Emma, Daniel, Miranda, and Nathan; and by one great-granddaughter, Lillian Grace Denby, whose mother, Ashley Graves Denby (1979-2012), was Anne’s eldest grandchild.
A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, 4900 Jackwood, Houston, at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 28. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Thomas' Episcopal Church and School.

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