James M. Lowney “loved to be by the water,” his family wrote, whether it was “clamming, swimming, or listening to the quietness.” He also “enjoyed traveling and experiencing new places,” and capturing “nature in all its wonder and beauty” with his camera. “Most of all,” they wrote, “he loved his family.”
Mr. Lowney, who moved from East Hampton to Lancaster, S.C., in December, died there on March 23. He was 60 and had been in good health.
In East Hampton, where he lived for many years, he had worked at Dreesen’s, Sam’s restaurant, Reed’s Photo, and most recently the Maidstone Club. He was a member of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church here. Along with photography and the time he spent on the water, he also enjoyed riding his motorcycle.
Mr. Lowney “knew everyone” in the village, said his wife, LynnMarie Valleau. “He was funny in a weird, geeky way,” she said.
Born on April 6, 1961, in Manhattan to James Lowney and the former Patricia Gloster, he grew up in Port Jefferson Station and went on to study at the State University at New Paltz.
He and Ms. Valleau were married on Oct. 1, 2001. She survives, as do his daughter, Lily Valleau-Lowney, also of South Carolina, and his parents, who live in Ridge. He is also survived by a sister, Karen Smith of Clearwater, Fla., and a brother, Adam Lowney of Riverhead, and by their spouses, Robert Smith and Bonnie Lowney.
A service for Mr. Lowney will be held on Saturday from noon to 3:30 at the Little Birchwood catering hall in Riverhead. A second service is planned for April 23 at Red Rocks Cafe in Indian Land, S.C.
