Obituary of Harold Lown

HAROLD LOWN Harold Lown, beloved husband father and grandfather died on Tuesday August 16 in Smithtown Long Island. He was 88. Lown, a mechanical engineer worked during his 40 year career for NASA, The Ford Motor Company and lastly with the General Electric Company until his retirement. He had an expertise in fluid mechanics, and developed several patents for the Centrifugal Compressor. Born in Utyan, Lithuania on January 10 1923, he was the son of the late Bella and Nison Lown. At the age of 12, Harold immigrated with his family to Lewiston Maine. He attended the University of Maine from 1940-1944 and received a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. From 1944-1946 he served in the Pacific during World War II as a Navy Radar technician. In 1948 he received a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. In 1951, his Zionist beliefs brought him to Israel where he worked for one year. On his way back to the US via the ship S.S. Nassau he met his future wife Yaffa Lown. They eventually settled in Schenectady, NY where he was an active member of his synagogue Agudat Achim and served as president of the Jewish community council of Schenectady. Harold loved to be with his family children and grand children. He enjoyed playing chess, listening to classical music and analyzing the stock market. In his younger days he was an avid skier and tennis player. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Yaffa Lown, son Danny Lown of Las Vegas Nevada, daughter Rebecca Lown of Manhattan, New York; son Dr. Jonathan Lown of Huntington NY; his grandchildren Benno, Jake, Jeremy, and Violet; and his two brothers, Dr Bernard Lown and Milton Lown of Massachusetts. A funeral service will be held at Congregation Agudat Achim, 2117 Union Street, Schenectady, NY on Friday August 19 at 1 p.m. Shiva will be held at the Lowns on Saturday, August 20, 8:30 pm.