Lowen Berman, z”l was born in 1942 in Chicago to Maurie Berman, z”l and Ruth (Schwartz) Berman, z”l. He found a sister in his cousin Sauci. A working-class Jewish kid, Lowen became a radical. He was involved in the civil rights and peace movements, was a community and labor organizer, and a member of the Bread & Roses political theater group.

On a climbing trip to Mt. Adams, he fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. He married Kepper Petzing and moved to Portland where they raised their daughters, MariRuth and Aliya. He continued his activism, working for racial justice, peace, and organizing to address climate change. He found great joy working in service to others at OHSU, AFSC, and EMO, including the HIV Day Center. During the last years of his life, he loved feeding hungry people.

While not always the best listener, he was a great storyteller, a speaker of truth, and saw and celebrated the good in people. Deeply interested in the world, he was an avid reader and loved meeting new friends. Lowen was a devoted father and husband. The most important thing to him was his relationships with the people he loved. Lowen aspired to be a mensch, and we believe he was.

Donations can be sent to The Peace House. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 26, at 10 a.m., at the Multnomah Friends Meetinghouse.