Robert Gordon Low

MANCHESTER- Robert Gordon Low, 62, of Manchester, NH, passed away on January 9, 2017 after a valiant battle with buccal and pancreatic cancer.

          He was born in Portland, ME on February 1, 1954, the only child of Cecil and Ruth (Weeman) Low and named after his uncles, Robert Weeman and Gordon Low.

          He attended schools in Standish, Maine, graduating from Bonny Eagle High School Class of 1972.  Bob was very active in Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout under the leadership of his father.  Later, he was an assistant leader with his father and they helped many boys gain a good start in life skills, with five becoming Eagle Scouts under their leadership.  Bob was the second Eagle Scout out of five in his father’s troop.

          Upon graduation, Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict, serving six years as a Medic, three on the ground and three in the air.  He spent two years at each of his duty stations, the first one being Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, ME.  Someone mentioned they needed a Boy Scout leader and Bob again rose to the occasion, leading a troop for the two years he was at Loring AFB.  He was next stationed for two years at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL which has since closed.  His last assignment was at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamagordo, NM, not far from Roswell. 

         When he returned to civilian life, he attended the University of Southern Maine at Gorham, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Education, Grades K-12 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Arts Technology.  He taught Industrial Arts and Graphic Design at Bonnie Eagle High School for 12 ½ years.  Many of his students fondly remember Mr. Low. 

         Bob was also a dispatcher for the Portland, ME Police Department for two years and was a volunteer firefighter for the Standish, ME Fire Department for many years.  He became an Emergency Medical Technician at the age of 16 when only a course in first aid was necessary to certify as an EMT.  He continued in this profession for the next 46 years, his last 29 ½ years of employment as an Advanced EMT for AMR (American Medical Response Ambulance Service) in Southern Maine and most recently in Manchester and Nashua, NH.  He currently held licenses in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts as well as on the National Registry.

         He was a member of the Buxton Lodge #115 A.F. & A.M. and was a member of the Kora Temple Shrine and the AAONMS of Lewiston, ME, belonging to the Medical Corp. Unit.  He was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Millwee Chapter#198 in Orrington, ME.

          Bob’s favorite hobby since childhood, taught to him by his parents, was feeding and observing birds.  He would identify nearly all Maine inland and sea birds by their appearance or their call.  Because of his feeding of the birds, he and Denise were lucky enough to see many varieties of birds, including great blue herons and a snowy white owl, which swooped down against their sliding glass door and picked up lunch.  On another occasion, a double crested cormorant standing 38 inches tall with a wingspan of 53 inches landed near the sliding door.  Unlike other birds that hop, Denise was startled to find that this particular bird runs across open ground just like a child but about twice as fast.  Bob also knew his seagulls.  He would tell whether it was a laughing gull, a ring-billed gull or a herring gull, as well as its age by its coloring alone.

         Bob is survived by his wife, Denise Eastman of Manchester, NH; one uncle for whom he was named, Robert Weeman of West Buxton, ME; a special cousin, Becky Weeman Ahmed and several other cousins scattered across the U.S.  He also leaves his best friend, Dwayne Sprague of South Portland, ME who joined AMR one month after Bob.  They enjoyed many hours of work and camaraderie together.

         Special thanks to Bob’s AMR family for all their care, kindness and concern given to Bob and Denise during this difficult time.  Special thanks to Dr. Benoit Gosselin of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon, NH and Dr. Joshua Rifkind of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Cancer Center in Manchester, NH; to all the nurses and employees on Floors D and E at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH.

        His Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, January 21st at 7 P.M. in the Manchester Vineyard Community Church 150 Dow St. # 3 in Manchester, NH.  Please use the Canal Street entrance.  Burial will be held at a later date with Bob being laid to rest with his parents in Standish, ME.  Assisting the family with arrangements is the Petit-Roan Funeral Home in Pembroke, NH.  To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.petitroan.com

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