In Memoriam: Ed Lowry (1930–2026)
Paradise Valley has lost a giant. Edward Lowry — attorney, mayor, mentor and Grand Canyon River guide — died at 95, leaving behind a legacy defined by principled leadership and an unquenchable spirit of adventure.
A resident of Paradise Valley since before its incorporation in 1961, Lowry’s life was inextricably linked to the town. He served in numerous capacities over six decades, including seven years as Town Magistrate and a consequential tenure as Mayor (1998–2004). During a period of growth and change, he was known as a thoughtful steward of the town’s character — protective of its open space, mountain views and low-density zoning.
Colleagues often described him as measured and analytical, someone who did his homework and treated civic duty not as politics, but as responsibility. His influence extended well beyond city limits; he served as president of the Scottsdale Bar Association and was a commissioner on the Uniform Law Commission for over 40 years.
Yet to define Lowry solely by public office would be to miss the sweep of his life. A graduate of Stanford Law School (Class of 1954), Lowry balanced his legal precision with a deep appreciation for culture and the wild. He served as president of the Board of Trustees for the Heard Museum, and his own artwork often reflected his profound connection to the Arizona landscape. His photographs were displayed in the Town Hall in Paradise Valley, where Lowry was a featured “Artist of the Year.”
It was this same appreciation for the Arizona landscape that drew him away from the courtroom and toward the current. He went down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon for 53 consecutive years with Hatch River Expeditions. Friends marveled at the duality; the mayor in a blazer and the boatman in river sandals. But to those who knew him best, it made perfect sense. Lowry possessed a scholar’s curiosity and a deep reverence for the natural world.
Lowry is survived by his wife, Patsy, and their children and grandchildren. This week, flags in Paradise Valley fly at half-staff in his honor — a fitting tribute to a man who helped shape the town’s future while never losing sight of the wild beauty beyond it.
Karen Werner is the editor of Frontdoors Media. She is a writer, editor and media consultant. She has interned at The New Yorker, worked at Parents Magazine, edited five books and founded several local magazines. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Mental Floss and the Saturday Evening Post.