Obituary of Henry John Loewen

Henry John Loewen Jr. passed from this life at Foxdale Village, State College, on Tuesday, November 21, 2017. Henry was born to Helen Krüger Loewen and Henry John Loewen Sr. in Elverson, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Upper Leacock High School and married his high school sweetheart Virginia Louise Horst on December 19, 1953. At West Chester State Teachers College he earned a B.S. in Music Education; he earned his Master's degree at The Pennsylvania State University. From 1955 to 1986 he taught elementary and junior high school instrumental music in the State College Area School District. After taking a piano tuning course in Chautauqua, N.Y., in 1982, he tuned pianos for 22 years. His musical interests included serving as organist from 1974 to 1994 at the former St. John's United Methodist Church in State College; playing piano duets with daughter Chris; playing trombone or tuba in the Little German Band, the State College Municipal Band, and the Bellefonte Community Band; and singing in the choir at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Hobbies included playing volleyball; playing or umpiring softball; tying his own dry flies and fly-fishing for trout; training and entering beagles in field trials at the Penns Valley Beagle Club; building and flying radio-controlled quarter-scaled model planes as a member of the State College Radio-control Club; rifle and archery hunting; photography; and oil painting. He and Virginia enjoyed traveling and camping in the United States and Canada. A most memorable trip was to Ukraine in 2001 in search of Henry's parents' ancestral village, Freidensfeld (Mirapol). Henry is survived by his wife Virginia H. Loewen; son Michael and wife Kathleen Tibbott Loewen of State College; son Philip and wife Joan Dixon Loewen of Lewistown; daughter Christina and husband Mark Davies of Warrington, Pa.; and brother Arthur Loewen of New Holland, Pa. In addition are grandchildren Benjamin Loewen-Leedy and wife Jennifer of State College; Matthew Loewen of Lewistown; Lisa Davies Berglund and husband Collin of Washington, DC; Steven Davies of Warrington; and James Tibbott of Woodland, Pa. The family will receive visitors on Thursday, November 30, 2017 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton Street, State College. A funeral service will be held Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:00 am at Saint Paul's United Methodist Church, 250 E. College Ave., State College, preceded by a visitation hour at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Henry's name to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 250 E. College Ave., State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.