Martin B. Lowery passed into eternal rest on October 14, 2020, at age 94. He was the loving father of Thomas More Society Special Counsel, Rita Gitchell. Martin B. Lowery was born on October 7, 1926. His birthday coincided with a rich Catholic feast day to "Our Lady of the Rosary." Martin had a deep devotion to Our Lady's intercession and often prayed the rosary to ask God for grace.

Mr. Lowery was a dedicated public servant for 42 years. In his lifetime he served as a Postal Clerk, Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, Investigator, Supervisory Investigator, Hearing Officer, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Deputy Chief of the Civil Division, and Veteran, U.S. Army WWII. Mr. Lowery was a graduate of DePaul University Law School in 1952.

There was nothing that Martin enjoyed more in life than spending quality time with his family and friends. A week before his passing he enjoyed a Zoom call with all his sons and daughter. One of the greatest joys of Martin’s life was learning how to box under the tutelage of the great Bantam Weight Champion, Johnny Coulon, his friend and mentor. At the age of 89 he was still able to do 19 chin ups. Martin had a serious passion for reading, he loved a good story or joke, and he enjoyed playing the harmonica too. Martin was a great loyal friend to many, and a generous man with a big heart. He was a skilled mechanic, and he cooked wonderful holiday meals for his family. Martin loved God, he loved his family, and he loved the United States of America.

Federal Court Judge, Marvin Aspen, described Martin as having stellar advocacy at its finest. Martin had a strong life plan, executed it to perfection, and fought the good fight every single day, to the very end.

In defending the United States of America regarding the treatment given by a military physician in Alabama in May, 1972, who was accused of negligence in not informing a pregnant mother she had a positive rubella titer and should seek an abortion, he won a motion to dismiss the minor’s claim by her father and best friend for wrongful life, and made arguments including:

“…. We live in a strange society. Corporations are persons and have rights under the Constitution, but the human fetus is not a person and has no rights, not even the basic right to life. Articulate segments of our society are more concerned with the snail darter and the harp seal and they petition us to save the whales, but who will speak for the unborn?”

Robert and Anna Robak v. United States of America, (N.D. Ill. E.D. (1980) trial transcript at p. 330; Robak v. United States, 658 F.2d 471, (1981).

In commenting on the trial the Honorable Judge Marvin E. Aspin stated:

"...Mr. Lowery’s presentation in this Court, I thought was a stellar example of advocacy at its most professional level…"

We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a great American patriot and we mourn his passing.