Real Estate developer Jack Loew’s passing last week made headlines in all the Chester County and Philly business news headlines. Loew, a well-known suburban developer, businessman, visionary and philanthropist, died after a long battle against brain cancer.

No Chester County resident of the past 25-30 years can dismiss the influence and impact Jack Loew’s has provided to the Chester County landscape. If timing and luck play essential roles in anyone’s success, Jack Loew’s star aligned perfectly with the retail, industrial and real estate expansion of the county’s bucolic and pastoral backdrop.

Whether you remember driving then-rural county roads and by-ways of the late 1970s and seeing the first Hough/Loew & Associates signs near Exton – driving Route 30 in the mid-1990s and witnessing the construction of the Exton Bypass – then reading about his ideas for “smaller big-box” retailers on the site of the former Downingtown Inn property – his vision and legacy in the community – and beyond – are unmistakable.

No risk-taker’s success comes easily or without challenges. And no land developer’s achievements – if they are to survive the fad of the moment – can be met without a fortunate combination of insight and business acumen. Loew’s skill and ability to plan and build a variety of industrial parks, office buildings and shopping centers – and remain focused on what is best described as a ‘community feel’ – allowed not only personal success but also prosperity for the county and it residents.

Gary Smith, President and CEO of the Chester County Economic Development Council, worked with Loew more than 30 years. He regarded Jack Loew as “a valiant man” and someone “who took pride in the work that he did.”

Attorney Jim McErlane remembers Loew as “a tough but fair negotiator,” and pointed to his achievements in redeveloping the Pepperidge Farm property while helping to keep and create jobs.

Eli Kahn, a business partner with Loew over 20 years, recalls his affection for the business. “The great thing about Jack is he had a deep love for his craft that had nothing to do with money,” said Kahn.

A few highlights of Loew’s projects include Whiteland Business Park in Exton, the Downingtown Technology Center in Downingtown Borough and the Downingtown Industrial Park, which includes the headquarters for the Chester County Intermediate Unit, where the developer recreated the use of an old building, something that marked many of his later projects.

In private life, Loew enjoyed his family, travel, and philanthropy. He contributed to the construction of homes for survivors of the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami. He has given lovingly and generously to a variety of charities, including Safe Harbor in West Chester, an organization providing food and shelter to the homeless.

A comprehensive obituary – published in the Daily Local News – states that the 66-year-old Loew died at home surrounded by his family. His wife of 22 years, Patricia Burton Loew, six children and 19 grandchildren survive him.

A Celebration of Life Service is being held Sunday, 3 pm, February 7, at Downingtown Country Club.

Readers wishing to read more about Jack Loew’s life can do so on The Daily Local here, at Philadelphia Business Journal here.