Marine Cpl. Conner T. Lowry To Be Remembered in Special Service at St. John Fisher

Photo: Modie Lavin with a portrait of her son, Marine Lance Cpl. Conner Lowry, of Beverly, who was killed during combat in Afghanistan in 2012. | Mary Compton

A local veterans group will honor two Marines from the Beverly-Mt. Greenwood area, one who lost his life in combat, and the other a captain who has watched 25 comrades fall while serving in Afghanistan.

The McCarthy Group, named for Beverly resident and World War II veteran, Joe McCarthy, who fought at Iwo Jima, will present the family of Lance Cpl. Conner Lowry with an American flag during a service at St. John Fisher, this Sunday, Nov. 15.

Founded by Pat McCauley, a Chicago firefighter from Beverly, the McCarthy Group travels about the country presenting flags to the families of military, police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty.

The group has also donated over $800,000 to families of fallen service members and first responders.

Lowry was running combat operations in Afghanistan when he was killed on March 1, 2012. He was 24 years old.

Conner was a Beverly kid and wanted nothing more than to come home from his tour of service to work and raise a family in the neighborhood where he grew up.

He had a special love for his grammar school, St. John Fisher, and Beverly Park, where he spent much time playing sports and hanging out with friends.

Lowry’s mother, Modie Lavin, told Patch in a 2013 interview that she was inspired to start the Conner T. Lowry Memorial Fund based on a text she received from her son while he was serving in Afghanistan.

“He said in the text if something ever happened to him in Afghanistan, he wanted a memorial in his name in Beverly Park ... Conner also wanted money donated to St. John Fisher, where he went to grade school.”

Funds from the memorial fund provide scholarships for eighth grade students at St. John Fisher and to keep up the grounds surrounding his memorial statue in Beverly Park.

Lowry’s flag for the St, John Fisher celebration will be flown to Chicago on an F-18 fighter plane.

Lavin told Beverly Review she feels blessed that her son is still being remembered.

“It’s always such an honor,” Lavin said. “I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to participate in these things. The support from society in general is so amazing.”

She hopes to keep the flag presented for her son at St. John Fisher School.

The McCarthy Group will also present an award for valor to Capt. Tom Schueman, a 29-year-old Marine from Mt. Greenwood. Schueman is due to head back overseas next month, most likely to Iraq, and will not be able to attend Sunday’s service.

To me, it’s meaningful that people recognize the sacrifice that those Marines made,” Schueman told Beverly Review. “Obviously, I just had the opportunity to lead those Marines. For the community to see that, it means a lot to me.”