Remembering Philip C. Lowe
The woodworking community has lost one of its giants with the passing of Philip C. Lowe. He was a consummate craftsman and former instructor and head of the furniture making program at North Bennet Street School in Boston, and later at his own school, The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts. But if you were to ask any of the number of people who have known and worked with Phil, the first thing you’d hear about is what a tremendously kind and generous individual he was.
In the handful of times I’ve had the pleasure to work with Phil, I was always greeted by his smile, quick wit, and great sense of humor. Of course, when he’d get to work, all my attention turned to his tremendous skill and the seeming ease with which approached his work. For those of us not fortunate enough to have studied under Phil, the good news is that he has been a consistent contributor to the magazine for more than 30 years. The articles that he has written over the years stand as a testament to his skill and the generosity with which he shared his insights, though sadly they only skim the surface of his knowledge and experience.