The passing & funeral of Mr. William "Billy" Lowe

Wed, Feb 17th 2016, 05:35 PM

It is with heavy hearts that we advise you, our business associates of the passing of Mr. William “Billy” Lowe, our friend and owner of JBR Building Supplies and Tops Lumber & Plumbing. Mr. Lowe passed peacefully at home on Sunday, February 14, 2016, after a short illness. He is survived by his wife, Minerva; sons, Bruce and Paul; and daughters, Valerie, Dianna and Patricia.

Mr. Lowe was one of the founding partners when JBR opened in November 1959. At that point in his life, he had already established himself as a pharmacist and wholesaler, having launched various pharmacies and wholesale outlets in Nassau, Freeport and Abaco.

JBR became his passion. The goal was to produce the best quality concrete block in The Bahamas, and to establish a hardware store which carried simply everything the builder would need—at fair prices and excellent service.

Once JBR had established its position in the industry, it gave birth to Tops Lumber and Plumbing in 1983. This new endeavor expanded the JBR brand in other areas of the construction industry. From a young age Billy was fondly called “Red Top” because of his vibrant red hair. So he called the new store “Tops.”

In 1996 JBR acquired Standard Hardware, Lumber & Plumbing in Marsh Harbour, Abaco. This foothold in Abaco, set the foundation for Billy’s ultimate dream: to launch a block plant in Abaco. In 2015, Red Top Block and Cement Company officially produced its first block. Red Top runs a state-of-the-art block plant complete with its own loading dock for barges to off-load all the raw materials needed for manufacturing. The grand opening of the Red Top block plant on November 18, 2015 was the culmination of Mr. Lowe’s business success in the construction supply industry.

His funeral will be held at his home church, Shirley Heights Gospel Chapel at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2016.

Arrangements are being made by Kemp’s Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to TEEN SCENES CAMP*, a cause that was very close to Billy’s heart.

JBR, Tops, Standard, and RTB will be closing at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2016.
*RBC account #05715 122-177-9

 Sponsored Ads