Obituary

Lowry Smith Fox, Jr.

April 19, 2025

Lowry Smith Fox, Jr., age 84 and of Conyers, Georgia and previously of Kentwood, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on April 19, 2025, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowry was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, where he graduated from Kentwood High School in 1959. He began his collegiate journey at McNeese State University, where he played football, before transferring to Louisiana State University (LSU), earning his bachelor’s degree in 1964. He later obtained a master’s degree in history from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Following his graduation from LSU, Lowry served in the United States Air Force as a pilot during the Vietnam War. In 1972, he had the distinguished honor of flying the lead guide plane escorting President Richard Nixon into the Soviet Union. His exemplary service earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and several other Air Medals. His ten-year tenure in the Air Force allowed him to travel the world and forge lifelong friendships.

In 1977, Lowry met Marilyn Christie Bergold and her two children, Christie and Hunter. They married and later had a son, Jason. Lowry returned to his roots by teaching and coaching at Kentwood High School, his alma mater. He also co-owned a dairy farm with his brother, Frank, and served as an elected police juror for Tangipahoa Parish. Later, Lowry and Marilyn relocated to North Georgia, eventually settling in Conyers, where he served as city manager and led the North Georgia Drug Task Force. He concluded his professional career as a workers’ compensation investigator for the state of Georgia.

Lowry was a humble, patient, and resilient man who never complained. He had a deep appreciation for SEC sports—especially LSU football and baseball. He cherished trout fishing trips in North Georgia with his sons and their friends and was an avid fan of high school and college wrestling. A good Western or cowboy movie was his favorite form of home entertainment. He relished Louisiana cuisine, particularly jambalaya, oyster po’boys, and seafood gumbo—and he never turned down a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. Known for his humorous storytelling, Lowry could recount tales with a charm that made each retelling as delightful as the first. Above all, he deeply loved his wife, three children, six grandchildren, great-grandson, and many friends who were like family. He will be dearly missed.

Lowry is preceded in death by his parents, Lowry Smith Fox Sr. and Avis Smith Fox; his wife, Marilyn Bergold Fox; his two sons, Jason Lowry Fox and George Hunter Bergold III; and his brother, Frank Mann Fox.

He is survived by his daughter, Christie Bergold Callender (Greg); six grandchildren: Carlie Anderson (Eric), Landry Callender, Cole Callender, Brandon Bergold, Browning Bergold, and Shaw Bergold; and great-grandson, Owen Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project @ woundedwarriorproject.org/donate. 

To celebrate Lowry’s life, a memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 11:30 a.m. at Lea Cemetery in Gillsburg, Mississippi.