Dr Liam Conroy shares some memories of Dr Ken Lowry.

We have lost our dear colleague and friend Ken Gilmour Lowry.

Ken was born on 15th May 1955 to Norman and Elizabeth and was the middle child of three siblings. The family lived in Seahill, County Down, where Ken attended primary school and later went on to Sullivan Upper Grammar School in Hollywood, County Down, which is a co-educational and inter denominational high school. The Motto for this school is “Lamh foisdineach an uachtar” (the gentle hand foremost). Most unusually for the times in having a Gaelic ethos. This motto and the strong academic emphasis of the school had indeed a huge effect on Ken.

Ken went on to study Medicine at the University of Manchester, where he graduated in 1978. Thereafter he decided on a career in Anaesthesia and in 1982 was awarded the Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthesia at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. That in fact was the first occasion that I encountered Ken. We next met up in earnest when I was invited to join the Court of Examiners at the Faculty of Anaesthesia in the 1991 Primary Fellowship examinations at which Ken was one of the three chairs.

Ken had been appointed as Consultant in Anaesthesia to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry in 1986 and he transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in 1988. This is where Ken really excelled in the rapidly developing specialty of Intensive Care Medicine.

This was at the height of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland and Ken was one of a very small but expert team that cared for the victims of the violence and civil unrest that was prevalent at the time.

As his interest in Intensive Care Medicine grew, he became Director of Intensive Care for the Belfast HSC Trust, President of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland and he was elected to the Council of the Intensive Care Society (UK). Ken later was appointed as Medical Director of the Northern HSC Trust, this was his final post prior to retiring.

Ken was unerring in his deeply committed belief in and loyalty to the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland. He was a leading light in both the Primary and Final Fellowship exams. It was here that we all were witness to his scrupulous fairness, his concern for dignity of all the candidates and his impish sense of humour. When faced with a difficult situation during the exams, he would have a habit of rubbing his hands together, gazing up at the ceiling and saying “NYESSS”in his unforgettable northern accent and within seconds come up with a correct, honourable and reasoned response.

In the early 2000s, the College of Anaesthetists undertook to provide Primary Fellowship Examination Courses in the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman and Ken was joined in that endeavour by the Post Graduate Dean, Ian Surgeon and myself. These were intense courses delivered to colleagues in training from the Middle East and beyond. They required intense preparation of lectures and always finished with simulated examinations in Physiology, Pharmacology and Clinical Measurement. I know for certain that the students on these courses really benefitted from them and many of them came to Ireland for further training after successful completion of the Primary Fellowship. This same small group were also involved in delivering the Primary Fellowship Exams in both Oman and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We were a close-knit group and enjoyed both the travel and the people we met. On one occasion in Oman on completion of the course we had a meal together in the Hotel’s Restaurant, where a newly appointed German chef was having a “Mushroom promotion”. Each course of the 7-course tasting menu consisted of various mushrooms from all over the world. Even desert was mushroom based (tiny, long white mushrooms from Italy served with a light custard). Ken was ecstatic, claiming it was one of the best meals he ever tasted. We always knew that ken was a bit of a foodie and an excellent chef himself.

Later in his career Ken was elected to College Council and completed his term serving as Vice-President of the College. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing the Irish Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine as well as the Diploma of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

Ken was fascinated by technology whether that be the use of computers in ICU settings or sophisticated home audio systems. In fact, because of original work undertaken by Ken on interfacing mechanical ventilation with computer systems to calculate dynamic compliance in real time, he was awarded a Master of Medical Science degree. This is now deemed to be standard on modern mechanical ventilators, so Ken was way ahead of his time on this subject.

Ken had many, many interests outside of medicine, including music of all types, comedy (the wackier the better for him), some of the more outlandish performances of Billy Connolly and he enjoyed regaling his colleagues with such tales as an after-dinner speaker at college dinners. The naughtier the better as far as Ken was concerned.

His passion was hillwalking. He loved to go on weekend hikes with friends and colleagues in the Mountains of Mourne. He successfully completed the 4 Peaks Challenge by climbing the 4 highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland on several occasions.

He ventured further afield by travelling to Nepal, Bhutan, California, South America and Easter Island with Ian Surgeon. He really enjoyed regaling to anyone who would listen to tales on freezing cold mountain hostels with basic or no facilities whatever and steaming cups of tea with Yak milk.

Ken passed away peacefully on the 20th of April after a 2½-year battle with head and neck cancer. It was a long and tortuous struggle involving surgery, radiotherapy, and prolonged chemotherapy.

His loss is grieved by his mother Elizabeth, Heather and his children David and Nicola, of whom he was unspeakably proud. His Heart’s Companion, Dawn Marie and her sons Peter and David, to whom he was a superb role model and friend.

Ken will be missed indeed in the College of Anaesthesiology family. We will miss his amazing work ethic, integrity, his humour, and the long strides he made through airports as we all struggled to keep up with him.

Truly one of natures gentlemen.

Ni Fheicimic a leitheis aris ann.