Sarah Lowery
July 4, 1925 – October 5, 2011

   Sarah Lowery, 86, passed on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. Born in San Diego to Edward B. Contreras and Ruth Fernisa de Almenara on the 4th of July 1925, she was taken to Mexico upon the death of her mother to be raised by her grandmother Maria in Mexico City, Mexico.

   She returned to San Diego during WWII and launched a career in photography as a colorist. She married Jearlee Lowery in 1949 and gave birth to the first of three sons with him in 1950. Son Raoul was born in Mexico City before she returned to the United States. She entered the restaurant business as a hostess and manager in the early 1960s concurrently with commencing a four decade plus political career as a leader of the Democratic Party in San Diego and California. She worked in San Diego’s City Hall as an assistant to San Diego Councilwoman Lucy Killea and later for the Registrar of Voters then retired from the County where she was a Senior Supervising Clerk and Eligibility Technician for Medical.

   She was elected to the San Diego Democratic County Central Committee by the voters in the 1970s and was reelected by Democrat voters every two years for almost 30 years. She served on the State Executive Committee of the California Democrat Party for 20 years. She served as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. She was the Democratic nominee for the 77th Assembly District seat in 2002.

   She organized the Jimmy Carter Democratic Club in 1976 and served as Jimmy Carter’s County Co-Chairman in 1976 and 1980. She organized White House visits for San Diegans during the Carter Presidential Years (1977-1981). She served in various campaign management positions with Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin and State Senator Wadie Deddeh. She worked professionally in the 1998 Campaign for San Diego’s Petco Park.

   She served as a volunteer at University Hospital and helped various charities raise funds.

   She is survived by sons Guy of San Juan Capistrano, Rex of Ramona, Jearlee Jr. of Oregon and Raoul of San Diego; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

   Private ceremonies will be conducted followed by cremation.