I have just read the following in The Living Church:
The Rev. James L. Lowery Jr., 77, of Old Lyme, Connecticut, died Feb. 14 at a New Haven hospital following a brain injury. Jay (as he was commonly called) was a priest who was a great supporter of the diaconate and who played an important role in the recovery of the order. From 1978 to 1985 he was director of the National Center for the Diaconate (forerunner of the present North American Association for the Diaconate), with an office in Boston. He traveled widely, spoke to clergy and lay at conferences and workshops, and wrote books and articles advocating the diaconate, as part of a general renewal of ministry. Rest in peace, Jay.