San Andreas, CA…Donald (Don) Thomas Lowder passed away in the afternoon of July 12, 2026, surrounded by family at his home in Aptos, CA. He succumbed from respiratory failure due to COPD which he fought for several years. Don was born on October 27, 1950 at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, CA, to the late Willis and Flora Lowder, the third son in a family of four boys. The family resided in El Segundo, CA, until 1958, when they moved to San Andreas, CA, where his parents owned Lowder’s Country Drug Store. Don graduated from Calaveras High School with the Class of 1968. He enrolled at Modesto Junior College before transferring to Idaho State University where he graduated from the College of Pharmacy. Don returned to California where he settled in Santa Rosa and worked as a pharmacist in drug stores there for his entire professional life. He genuinely loved medicine and never stopped learning, always pursuing continuing education because he wanted to be the very best he could be for those he served. He retired prior to the Covid pandemic due to his failing health related to COPD.

It was in Santa Rosa where Don met the love of his life, Gigi, whom he was married to for over twenty years. Together they formed a family with his son Geoff and her three children, Desiree, David, and Dustin. Unfortunately, Gigi passed away in 2013. Don was one of a kind. He had a sharp wit and a unique sense of humor that could take some getting used to, but once you knew him, you couldn’t help but appreciate how funny, extremely intelligent, and caring he truly was.

More than anything, Don loved his family. He was a devoted husband, a loving father to his children, and a caring grandfather who was always there with his love, support, and encouragement. Some of our favorite memories are around his dinner table, where his famous clam chowder, prime rib, and Yorkshire pudding brought us all together. Those meals weren’t just family dinners—they were one of the many ways he showed his love. He was always comparing cooking ideas with his brother, David.

In addition to his mother, father, and wife, he was also preceded in death by his older brother, Kennedy, and his younger brother, Jonathan (aka “Boo”). He is survived by an older brother, David (Susan) of Bedford, TX; his four children, Geoff of Fresno, CA, Desiree of Santa Cruz, CA, David (Yolanda), and Dustin, both of Santa Rosa, CA, also his grandchildren, Courtney, Nevaeh, Leilani, Shayla, Selena, Archie, Austin, Aubrey, and Owen. Don’s first great-grandchild is “on the way.”

Don will be cremated. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in early spring 2027 at which time Don and Gigi will be inurned in a location chosen by his family.