William "Bill" John Lowry

William “Bill” Lowry passed away January 9, 2023, at the ripe age of 87. He was born in Lenapah, OK February 3, 1935.

After the early death of his father, Bill was raised by his mother, Mary Shipley. The two eventually moved to Nowata where Bill graduated from Nowata High School with the Class of 1956. There he made many good friends that he held close his entire life. He later moved to Bartlesville, working for Phillips Petroleum, then moved for a short period to Tulsa, bringing along his new wife, Patricia Helmers Lowry and new daughter, Christy. Bill spent the rest of his life living and working in Oklahoma City where he loved being a foster parent and attending OU home games. After many years in the oil business, Bill and Pat, now adding son, Justin, owned and operated Sprousky’s Sandwich Shop in downtown OKC. Bill finished his career at Avis, working for many years driving cars and making friends. He was so personable, Avis used him to bring rental cars to VIPs, where he met the likes of Mitt Romney and Terry Bradshaw. Bill loved to drive to New Mexico to play golf and see the mountains. He’d also travel anywhere OU or Willie Nelson were playing. While he and Pat divorced, they remained friends and devoted to their family. Bill was a doting grandfather to his five grandchildren. He would often drive long distances to see them, and if that meant driving to Lake Murray, OK or even Red River, NM to meet them on vacation, he’d make the sacrifice. He enjoyed living at Baptist Village in OKC during his last years. While there, he was baptized and became reacquainted with Jesus. He spent happy hours having breakfast out with the guys and talking about the family he loved so much.

Special thanks to the staff at The Fairmont and Fresenius Dialysis for taking such good care of him.

Bill is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Shipley.

He is survived by daughter, Christy (Francis) Murphy, son, Justin (Nicole) Lowry, and grandchildren, Ivy Lowry, Brendan, Will, Henry and Molly Murphy. He is also survived by many loving cousins in and around the Nowata area.

Services will be held at Baptist Village in Oklahoma City on March 4 at 2:30. On April 15, his ashes will be interred at Happy Hill Cemetery in Nowata, Oklahoma.