Raymond Stewart Low, 87, Veteran and Entrepreneur

From www.lifecelebration.com:

Raymond Stewart Low passed away peacefully on April 12 in Chandler Hall Hospice Care at St. Mary Medical Center, Newtown. The son of Elizabeth K. and Ernest C. Low, he was born in San Francisco on July 6, 1926. He spent his early years there and in Larkspur, CA prior to moving to Trenton NJ in 1941, and soon after, his family relocated to Lower Makefield Township, PA. 

Ray attended and boarded at the Peddie School, graduated early at 17, and immediately joined the Marines where he served on the Battle Cruiser USS Guam and engaged in combat on the island of Okinawa. 

Following the war, he attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After graduation, he served in the US Navy reserve until 1961. In 1948, he married Elaine Wallis of Morrisville, PA prior to moving to Pittsburgh, PA to assume a Sales Representative position with the John Flocker Company. After three years, Ray joined the Electrical Wire Division of the John A. Roebling Company serving as the Philadelphia District Manager.

Always an entrepreneur, he founded Low Associates in 1961, a manufacturers' representative of electrical products. As the company grew, the name was changed to Synergy Electrical Sales in 2001 and it is still thriving as one of the premier representative firms in the market. He also co-founded a former sister company, Electrical Sales Associates in Maryland in the early seventies. 

Ray served as President of the National Electrical Manufacturers Representative Association in 1983, and was extremely proud of his fifty-seven year association with the Philadelphia Tin Hats. Ray was also a former member of Union League of Philadelphia, The Vesper Club, The Trenton Club, The Engineers Club of Philadelphia, and the Electrical Association of Philadelphia.

He was a member of the Trenton Country Club for over fifty years, where he enjoyed the company of dear friends. He was extremely fond of the TCC staff and viewed them as extended family. Summers were spent at his home in Avalon, NJ where he loved to spend time with his family on the beach and in the surf. Over the years, he had memberships at Seaview Country Club, The Stone Harbor Golf Club, and Sand Barrens Golf Club.

A resident of Lower Makefield Township for almost six decades, he served on the Township Planning and Industrial Development Commission and was the second chairman of the Lower Makefield Republican Club. Ray was a member of the Morrisville Presbyterian Church for over fifty years where he served as a Deacon, Trustee, and ordained Elder prior to joining Newtown Presbyterian Church where he was an active member and trustee.

Affectionately known as "Razor" to his Tin Hat brethren, and "Pops" to family members, he is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elaine, daughters Melanie Wright of Sarasota, FL, Leslie Stanley [Thomas] of Mendham, NJ, sons Lawrence [Phyllis] of Yardley, PA , Craig of Munhall, PA, granddaughters Amanda Owen [Ryan]of Cambridge MA, Caitlin Pickel [Jason] of Holly Springs, NC; grandsons Zachary Low [Laura] of Doylestown, PA, Ryan Stanley of Caldwell, NJ, Garrett Low [Kara] of Perkasie, PA, Justin Low of Newtown, PA, five great grandchildren and was predeceased by grandson Timothy Raymond Stanley.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 11:00 am at the Newtown Presbyterian Church 25 North Chancellor St. Newtown, PA. Calling hours will be at the Swartz/Givnish Funeral Home 323 Washington Ave. Newtown, PA on Tuesday evening, April 22, 6:30pm -9:00 pm, and prior to the service at 9:00 am at the Church. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Greg Wolf Fund, www.thegregwolffund.org, or The Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarrierproject.org. Interment will be at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery.