#ralph lowe

“...no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away - until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested .”

Happy Birthday Mr. Lowe.

Happy Birthday Mr. Lowe.

My favorite teacher died today. His name was Ralph Lowe. He taught me Honors Sophomore English and Senior English in high school. He was the leader of the Academy, the school’s book club which he described as “a conspiracy of intellectuals.” Every summer he took a group of students to Greece. He had a classroom that was home to hundreds of piles of books which he would happily lend to anyone who wanted something to read. He once got written up for allowing his class to frolic in the rain and another time for teaching some students how to hitchhike He also saved my life. I had troubles with depression in high school and there were times where he was pretty much the only thing that kept me going because everything good in my life was tied to him. Even if I had a million years I could never fully express just how much Mr. Lowe meant to me and how much he did for me. I can only hope that one day I become one tenth of the teacher he was.

Trainer John Nerud to owner Ralph Lowe, seconds before their horse, Gallant Man, was mistakenly pulled up short of the finish line, losing the 1957 Kentucky Derby