Lowell Lebermann

Newsdesk has received the sad news that former council member Lowell Lebermann has died.

In addition to owning the Centex Beverage Inc. distribution company, Lebermann served on Austin City Council from 1971 to 1977. A former president of the UT Student Association, he sat on the UT System Board of Regents from 1993 to 1999 after being appointed to that body by Governor Ann Richards.

He remained active in Democratic politics and humanitarian projects: Part of his lasting legacy will be that he served as vice-chair of the steering committee of Citizens for a Healthy Travis County, which helped pave the way for the formation of the Travis County Healthcare District.

Former Mayor Bruce Todd issued this short statement:

It is hard to imagine an Austin without Lowell Lebermann. His keen sense of humor, his hospitality and his generosity made him one of a kind. I’ll never walk by the corner table at the Headliners Club without thinking of him with great fondness. Although he had lost his physical ability to see, he had better insight into people and politics than almost anyone I’ve ever known. This is a very sad day.”

This article appears in July 3 • 2009.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.