Lowell Vernon Dravenstadt's Obituary
Lowell Vernon Dravenstadt, family man, entrepreneur, wordsmith, dapper dresser, dancer, romantic, and accomplished traveler, died on Monday, May 13, 2019. He was 98.In 1920, Woodrow Wilson was president, women gained the right to vote, and a boy named Lowell was born in New Weston, Ohio. His parents, Vernon and Iva Dravenstadt, raised him and his three siblings in Springfield with solid family values and a good work ethic. As a teenager, Lowell was fun-loving,independent, and ambitious.In 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the war was on.Lowell’s interest in commercial aviation took him to Washington D.C., where he became an air traffic controller. A pretty young woman working at the Eastern Airlines counter caught his eye, and he and France Miller were married a year later. He then enlisted and shipped out with the Merchant Marines working as a radio operator in the Pacific until the end of WWII.After the war, Lowell and his bride moved to Arlington, VA, where he began a 25-year career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). His job assignments included stints in Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Manila, Philippines; and finally in 1962, San Francisco, CA. Meanwhile, Lowell and Fran were raising their children to love, honor, and obey, with a big dose of fun and adventure.Lowell retired from the FAA in 1973 and started his second career as a real estate broker, founding Mills Estate Realty in Millbrae, CA. He also actively invested in the burgeoning pistachio industry in California. Life was good. And then it wasn’t—Lowell’s beloved wife died in 1989 after 47 years of marriage. Her epitaph befittingly states: ‘She brought sunshine that will warm our hearts forever.’With the loss of his life-long partner, Lowell, as a young 69-year old, still had much to do and see. For the next 15 years, he traveled the world as an Ambassador Host for Crystal Cruise lines and a Mariner Host for Golden Bear Travel. His intelligence, charisma, and million-dollar smile made him popular with everyone he met.Lowell retired from his role as cruise host and spent hours volunteering as a docent at Filoli. Thiscombined his love of nature, children, and education. He spent his final years at Peninsula Regent in San Mateo, CA, as an inspiring senior citizen and a master bocce competitor. We’ll remember him for his fortitude, zest for life, and quick wit. He was a man of many words with impeccable, and sometimes deadpan, delivery.Lowell was predeceased by his parents, his siblings, and his wife. He is survived by his daughter, Jeane Makar (Tom Kay); son, Jay Dravenstadt (Emily); grandsons, Weston Dravenstadt (Danielle), and Marshall Dravenstadt, and great granddaughter, Sylvia Dravenstadt.Services will be held on Friday, June 7Th at Skylawn. Visitation will begin at 10:00 and the funeral at 11:00. All are invited to join the family for a reception afterward.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Mission Hospice or the San Mateo County Park Foundation.
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