Compo Beach Pickleball Court Dedication: The pickleball courts at Compo Beach in Westport will soon be named the Lowrie Courts to honor Tom Lowrie, who has spent years growing the sport in town. The Board of Selectwomen and the Parks and Recreation Commission both voted to place a plaque honoring him, and the Representative Town Meeting will review final approval on July 1.
Honoring a Lifetime of Support
Tom Lowrie, who will turn 97 next week, has been called the father of pickleball in Westport. A retired architect, he has worked hard to bring more courts and players to the sport.
“I’m always happiest when I have a racquet in my hand,” Tom Lowrie said in an interview with the Westport Journal in November 2023. He has kept promoting pickleball even as debates over court noise have slowed some plans.
Over the years, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Parks and Recreation Commission have reviewed many proposals for courts at the Fairfield County Hunt Club, Birchwood Country Club, Longshore Club Park, and private homes.
A Growing Pickleball Community
Tom Lowrie served as an ambassador to the USA Pickleball Association and created a design for six new courts at Longshore Club Park, including some covered ones for all-weather play.
His work has helped build the Westport Pickleball Association, which now has 745 members, as shown on the group’s Facebook page.
“His passion is unbelievable,” Parks and Recreation Director Erik Barbieri said at a recent meeting. Erik Barbieri said Tom Lowrie has reached out many times in just four months to promote pickleball.
RTM member Chris Tait said, “He’s kind-hearted, caring, and always about what’s good for Westport.” Chris Tait and Andrew Colabella are leading the effort to rename the courts. Andrew Colabella plans to speak to the RTM on Tuesday to ask for their approval, which is needed to rename town property.
Recognized for Service
Tom Lowrie is a U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of Princeton University and Columbia University School of Architecture. Andrew Colabella said he has been honored by many groups in Westport and beyond for his service, especially in pickleball.
“He is known nationwide for his enthusiasm for pickleball as well as his promotion of the sport,” Andrew Colabella said. “Tom Lowrie is a class act and we need more people like him.”
Once the RTM gives its approval, the plaque will be ordered and a date set to celebrate Tom Lowrie’s dedication to the game.
News in Brief: Compo Beach Pickleball Court Dedication
Westport will name the Compo Beach pickleball courts the Lowrie Courts to honor Tom Lowrie, who has led efforts to grow the sport locally. The Representative Town Meeting will vote July 1. Lowrie, nearly 97, is praised for decades of service and promoting pickleball in Westport and beyond.
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