“Frank,” as his partners and clients called him, was a man of many gifts. Chief among them was his mastery of the short, declarative English sentence. Every argument before a judge could be reduced to a few obvious propositions, that would clearly demonstrate the merit of his client's cause. Handwritten drafts of his briefs disclosed more words scratched out than penciled in. As a speaker and a writer, Frank was transparent before the word became popular.

Frank Lowden was brilliant without being dazzling. Before responding to a client's question, he would extract a Camel cigarette, light it, exhale a cloud of smoke and proceed to offer an incisive comment about a thorny problem. He was a man of his word. His union adversaries respected and trusted him because he never went back on what he promised. He was loyal to his clients, partners and associates, alike.

Frank was never happier than at Hatteras, surfcasting for the big blues. Each of his new associates was introduced to this sport and the late-night, lubricated, fish tales, that followed.

Integrity was Frank's core value. On my first day of law practice, Mr. Lowden called me into his office and said, “There may come a time when someone asks you to do something which you feel isn't right. I don't care who it is. First, don't do it. Second, come see me immediately.” Intelligence, loyalty, integrity. Frank Lowden epitomized the ideals of our profession.

Jack W. "J.B." Burtch, Jr., Esquire
Virginia Law & Government Affairs P.C.
Richmond, Virginia