Lowell Crist, 75, Programmer

Lowell Crist, a retired mainframe programmer and musician, died in his home Saturday evening, Jan. 25. He was 75.

Lowell was born in Evanston, Illinois, on Dec. 26, 1938, to parents Francis and Alice Crist. He attended Oberlin College, where he dedicated himself to mastering the French Horn. He transferred to Indiana University to study with one of his idols and graduated with a Masters in Music.

After fulfilling his service by playing in the NORAD band, he applied for and received a Fulbright scholarship to travel to Germany and continue his study of music. He played in the Nuremberg Symphony for two years before thoughts of family and familiar places brought him home.

After getting a job with IBM in the mid-’60s and learning how to program mainframes, he transferred to Los Angeles in 1969 and subsequently worked at UCLA for decades, developing programs that underpin many university-wide systems.

Upon retiring he turned back to art. Inspired by the stark beauty of many Ansel Adams prints, he took extensive trips throughout the West Coast, taking thousands of photos at National Parks and other spectacular sights. A stubborn perfectionist, he would labor over each print for hours until the colors sang as brightly on the page as they did in his memory. He saw God’s hand in the natural beauty of the world and tried his best to pay homage to that with his stunning images.

Lowell will be remembered for his laughter. Often reserved outside of the home, he would do anything to make his children smile, whether it was a joke or a silly antic. He showered his children with love, taking them to the mountains to ski in the winter and the beach in the summer.

He is survived by his daughter Catherine; son David; sister Louise and her children, Wendy, Taylor, Chris and Maggie. To make a contribution in honor of Lowell Crist: Cancer Support Community/Benjamin Center, 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90025, or visit:cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org.