Navico, parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP brands, has announced the passing of Darrell J. Lowrance, founder of its Lowrance brand. According to a Facebook post on the Lowrance brand page over the weekend, Darrell Lowrance, 80, died Saturday after a stroke.
Lowrance served as president and CEO of his namesake company from 1964 to 2006, and was responsible for many breakthroughs in marine electronics, Navico reported in a statement released today. In addition to the first recreational sonar product for anglers — the Fish-Lo-K-Tor (also known as the Little Green Box) — he led the development of the first graph recorder, the first integrated sonar/GPS unit, and many others, the statement said. He served as president of the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturer’s Association (AFTMA) from 1983 to 1984 and as a board member for AFTMA from 1978 to 1986, and again in 1988. He was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2013.
“With his passing, the world has lost a great man and a true visionary,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO, Navico. “Darrell’s passion for fishing, innovative design and dedication to driving the marine electronics industry forward, led to innovative ideas and products that have shaped the fishing experiences for millions of anglers globally during the past 60 years. The fishing world and our Navico family mourn this loss, and we offer our sincere condolences to Darrell’s wife, Kathleen, and to his family.”
