Frederick Lee Lowder

Frederick Lee Lowder was born December 24, 1956, in Cut Bank Montana.He is survived by his wife, Becky; mother, Marie; father, Lee; sister, Deborah Chanco; daughter, Tiffany Skierka; sons, Cole, Jade, and Rhett.He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lula and Louis Lowder, Fred and Theda Stone, and Bill Whitford; step-father, Dick Palmer; and nephew, Christian Chanco. Fred was humorous, devoted, and loving.His interests were many and his loves great.Fred was happiest behind the wheel of his truck out in the wilderness tooling around backroads stopping periodically to peer through his binoculars at a far off hillside for deer and elk.Being with his family gave him great joy and being in nature with his family, Fred was on Cloud-9.Fred was most often found under the hood of a car or with a grandkid on his knee, telling stories and entertaining to no end. Fred was formidable and dependable.There are many who can attest to his stubbornness and passion for his craft.Knowing Fred was always a privilege, and to be counted among his friends meant a life-time of love and generosity. Fred was a giver.To those he cared about, you always came first.His ability to put others' needs ahead of his own was something everyone was well aware of. He was a collector of knives, of tools, of rolls of tape, of broken shovels, and of whatever else he deemed worthy of salvaging from either his local “pick-and-choose,” alley-ways, or junked cars. Nothing gave Fred so much pleasure as sharing his passions with others.Teaching as a hunter’s education instructor for decades, it was easy to see him light up and fill his class with admiration and knowledge that they might pass-down just as he was doing.Fred’s classes were standing room only and attention never waned. Fred and Becky had a story-book romance.They got together years after both graduated from Cut Bank High. They met by chance in Kalispell; they soon fell in love and went on to spend as much time as possible together.Sharing stories, families, and passions, Fred and Becky went on to have four children who are now also grown and each in their own story-book relationships. Fred and Becky travelled, spent quiet evenings playing cards, talking for hours and in the end they were still holding hands. Fred fought, he suffered, he loved, he hiked in the rain, snow, and heat, he fixed things, he gave, he passed down wisdom, he made things, he welcomed in new members to his family, and he waved goodbye to his children as they drove off, got married, and had their own children. Fred will be missed.An understatement to be sure, Fred’s loss is felt deeply by all those who knew and loved him.From all those who loved him, we love you Fred, be at peace. A visitation will be held on Friday, May 15, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at O’Connor Funeral Home. A rosary and viewing will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church at 6:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held Saturday, May 16, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. with the interment to follow at Immaculate Heart Cemetery.