On the evening of November 22, 2025, Lowell Pettit quietly departed this world on his 91st birthday. He was surrounded by friends that had come to celebrate with him. The circle of life was completed on the very day it began, November 22, 1934 in the small town of Cokato, Minnesota.
Lowell’s story stretched across decades and landscapes. For eighty years, he called the Twin Cities home before moving to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Wherever he lived, he carried with him a gentle spirit, a warm smile, and hugs.
He was a man of heart, always wanting to help others. For thirty summers, he led groups of teenagers from Faith UMC into the hills of Appalachia, teaching them not only how to repair homes but how to repair hope. He journeyed to Nicaragua with Mayo physicians, where together they built an operating room—a beacon of healing that, though later destroyed by Hurricane Mitch, stood as a testament to his determination to serve. In Tennessee, he lifted hammers for Habitat for Humanity, and in Minnesota, he helped bring Stephen Ministry to life at Faith UMC.
Lowell was preceded in death by his parents, Florence and Stuart, and his first wife, Jeanette. He is survived by his wife Patricia, his four siblings — Jan, Dona, Glen, and Patty, his children Pamela, Phil, and Geri, his granddaughters Amber and Elena, his great-granddaughter Ana, and his stepsons Erol and Altan.
Lowell rests in God’s peace now while his memory is carried forward within the lives of those he touched.
Memorial service: Monday, June 29, at Faith United Methodist Church, 2708 33rd Ave NE, St. Anthony MN 55418 (One block west of Silver Lake Rd at the corner of 33rd Ave NE and Belden Dr) Visitation at 9 am; service at 10 am; brunch to follow. Burial will take place at 2:00 PM at the Cokato City Cemetery.
Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, Minnesota 320-286-2534 www.swansonpeterson.com