September 26, 2021

Barbara Lowe of Chadds Ford

Barbara Lowe, 93, a longtime resident of Chadds Ford, died peacefully on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the Crosslands Retirement Community in Kennett Square. Born on Nov. 6, 1927, in Kirkham, England, she was very proud of her Lancashire, England heritage. She was the daughter of the late James Jolly and Sara Alice (nee Benson) Birket.

Mrs. Lowe was the beloved wife of Reginald Wilmot Lowe, who survives her. They were married on Dec. 7, 1957, in England and enjoyed almost 64 years of marriage. After marrying, she and her Reggie first relocated to Canada where Mr. Lowe was employed and then to the United States for other employment in Southeastern Pennsylvania, first in the Poconos, then in Philadelphia settling finally in Chadds Ford.

A longtime attendee at Birmingham Friends Meeting in Birmingham Township, she was active in the Religious Society of Friends for many years, first at Green Street Meeting in Philadelphia where she assisted in the children’s Sunday School program and later as a faithful attendee at worship and participant in many activities at Birmingham Meeting.

Always welcoming, Friends, neighbors, and personal friends were greeted with a warm smile and often invited in for “a proper cup of English tea and biscuits” at her home. She was an active member of the Brandywine Craft Guild and appreciated the simple pleasures of life: embroidery, delighting in seeing birds, especially robins, at feeders outside her kitchen window, watching and playing with little children and small dogs, especially her Corgis, the favorite breed of Queen Elizabeth II she would note, and later her Yorkies, and treating the canine pets of neighbors who stopped by for treats.

She enjoyed engaging with the Amish during trips to Lancaster and the local markets. She often reminisced about her courtship with Reggie in English country villages and their adventures traveling in Canada and the U.S.

Interment at the Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery was held at the Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery in Birmingham on Friday, Sept. 24. A memorial service will be held at a future time at the Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse. Arrangements are being made by Kuzo and Foulk Funeral Home, Kennett Square. Please visit Mrs. Lowe’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Barbara Lowe’s memory to Birmingham Friends Meeting.

About CFLive Staff

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Volunteers ‘Love Our Byways’

Along the Ford

_1JF8796-Volunteers-plant — Volunteers spend time beautifying the grounds around the Chadds Ford Historical Society’s Barn Visitors’ Center.

The Chadds Ford Historical Society relies on volunteers for most of its activities, but Saturday was a little different. The activity then was more about beatification than historical education.

The society applied for, and with the help of Team Toyota in Concord Township, received a $2,000 “Love Our Byways” grant offered by the National Scenic Byway Foundation. Toyota Motor of North America helped find the grant. One of the things needed to get the money was getting at least 35 volunteers. And those volunteers showed up and spent three hours raking, preparing the soil, and planting along the front and side of the Barn Visitors’ Center along Creek Road in Chadds Ford.

According to Sandi Johnson, the event manager at CFHS, the group planted lavender, dwarf Hinoki Cypress, Patriot Hosta, “and marigold to keep away the critters. The idea is just to beautify the area.”

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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Op/Ed: Masking decision in UCFSD

Opinion

We are going through challenging times. Covid-19 is testing us. We are winning this fight, but it is costly. We have already lost an estimated 700,000 of our fellow citizens and another 4 million worldwide. That’s the human loss and doesn’t even consider the loss of jobs, businesses, livelihoods, education, increases in mental health issues, and much more. The losses are enormous.

Unfortunately, we seem to be fighting among ourselves about the governance of our school system. Ours is not the only school district that is going through this debate. The school boards and administrations across the country have become a target of harassment, picketing, and personal attacks.

I am writing this to seek civility and understanding within the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District where both the administration and the board are following science. They are in unchartered territory. However, they are seeking expert help and doing what they believe to be in the best interest of children and the staff. They may not get it all correct, 100 percent of the time, but I would rather have them err on the side of caution.

Let’s check our emotions and political beliefs at the door and review the most vocal criticism of the UCFSD administration and the board. It is the masking policy, Selfishly, I was hoping that the district would make the masks optional because my family is fully vaccinated, and we do not have any high-risk individuals in our household. At the same time, I was concerned about students under 12, families of the staff who have children under 12, or those who are immunocompromised as well as the elderly.

When the district adopts such policies, they need to keep in mind the people who are at the greatest risk. The district conducted a survey seeking parent input on masking, and the majority preferred a masking requirement. This does not mean we should ignore the concerns of the minority. If there are ways to satisfy the concerns of the minority, we must. However, I urge the people who are unhappy with the district’s decisions, to articulate their case based on facts, not opinions. Please rely on science, not on emotions or provocative politicians and media personalities. Let us balance risks and benefits at a macro-level — at the community level. Let us park our personal preferences. Let’s think about the most venerable. If our inconvenience can help save one life, the inconvenience is worth the effort.

The latest disagreement with the UCFSD School Board members appears to be their decision to go virtual for the board meetings. Regardless, whether the meetings are in-person or virtual, the protocols and the rules must be honored. We must be civil and respectful. We are role models for our children. Let us set good examples for them.