Lowell Edmonds

Billy Lowell Edmonds was born on March 4, 1945 in the Grassy Mountain area of Marshall County, Alabama, to Ernest and Virgie Edmonds. He had no siblings and did not participate in sports until he entered the 9th grade at the Kate Duncan Smith Daughters of the American Revolution School, commonly called DAR, in Grant, Alabama. However, the 6’2” freshman was a quick learner and soon became the starting center for the junior high team. The Patriots went 25-1, averaged 60 points per game and finished second the 1959-60 District Basketball Tournament.

The Patriots would have very successful teams over the next three years. As a sophomore, Lowell started out on the JV team, but moved up to play with the varsity on a team that went 19-3 under Coach G.M. Wheat.  As a junior, Lowell, now 6’4’’, became the starting center. The team went 21-10, won the District Championship and went to the 1962 State Tournament in Tuscaloosa before losing in the first round.  The 1962-63 team, under MCSHOF Coach John Kitchens, again won the District Tournament and The Patriots made it all the way to the Final 4, finishing 3rd in the State of Alabama with a 27-7 record.  Lowell and two teammates, David Wilder and Thomas Bevels, made the All-State Tournament Team. In addition, Lowell was also a two-time All-Marshall County and All-District selection.

Following graduation from DAR in 1963, Lowell signed a scholarship to play basketball for MCSHOF Coach Emmett Plunkett at Snead State. After two years with the Parsons, Lowell took his skills to Florence State, now The University of North Alabama, where he became an outstanding forward for Coach Ed Billingham.

After graduation in 1970, with a B.S. in Business Management, Lowell worked for General Telephone & Electrical (GTE), The Intergraph Corporation, SCI and in the development of property in Marshall County, retiring in 2003. He also continued his interest and participation in sports by playing basketball and tennis for GTE in the Huntsville Industrial League and coaching basketball with the YMCA and the Huntsville Recreation Department.

Lowell and his first wife Faye, who passed away after 37 years of marriage, had one son, Greg, two grandsons, Noah and Chance, and a granddaughter, Zoey. Greg made the ASWA All-State team for three years while playing basketball at DAR. He was also the Alabama 3A Player of the year in 1990. Greg signed a scholarship to play basketball at UAB under legendary Coach Gene Bartow. After 2 years at UAB, he transferred to Jacksonville State and played 3 years for MCSHOF Coach Bill Jones of Guntersville. Noah is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as an All-City and All-County basketball player. Zoey is an All-City Volleyball Player and Chance is already playing both basketball and football at only 8 years of age. 

Lowell and his second wife, Patricia, together have three children and seven grandchildren.