Low was born on May 31, 1935, in San Francisco, California, to Horace Emerson Low and Clio Caroli. He was lovingly raised by Virginia Low Paine, affectionately known as Aunt Dinnie, and her husband, Francis Cabot Paine, in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Tony graduated from the Kent School in 1953 before matriculating to Harvard where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1957), a Master of Arts (1959), and Doctorate (1965).

During his childhood, summers were spent in Islesboro, Maine, where Tony befriended Pauline Iselin Mills whom he married on December 28, 1961, in Princeton, New Jersey. At the time, Tony had enlisted in the army where he was serving at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

Low, a recipient of the Pew Evangelical Fellowship, began his career as an academic in 1965 at Seattle University where he served on the faculty 1965-1968 before taking a teaching position at New York University in 1968 and being promoted to professor of English literature 1978. He served as department chairman 1989-1995. During his long career, Tony took only one sabbatical (1974-1975) as a visiting scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge University.

Tony and Pauline raised an impressively large family – 13 children – in various homes in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, before moving to and eventually retiring in East Calais, all the while continuing to summer in Dark Harbor, Maine. These homes were always filled with children and dogs – rarely fewer than three or four dogs – who loved him as much as he loved them.

Tony walked every day nearly to the end of his life. Often accompanied by people, but always accompanied by dogs, he was never in a hurry, wandering familiar roads, stopping to enjoy the view or clear sticks and rocks from the path. He felt wonder for the world, remarking on the beauty of the light on the water or in the trees and clouds at different times of day.

His appreciation for the world and the vast library of stories accumulated in a lifetime of reading made him a great storyteller. He published a half dozen books and countless scholarly articles. His children and grandchildren loved to hear him read aloud or tell stories of his life.

Memberships included: Tarratine Club of Dark Harbor, President of the Conference on Christianity and Literature, Milton Society, Donne Society, Modern Language Association, Renaissance Society, Phi Beta Kappa.

A soft-spoken, consummate gentleman, Tony was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. A life-long sailor and boating enthusiast, he enjoyed nothing more than a brisk southwest breeze filling the sails of a boat scudding across Penobscot Bay. Though, a cup of tea, a handful of biscuits and a good book would be a close second.

Tony is survived by wife Pauline; children: Louise, Christopher, Georgianna, Elizabeth, Peter, Catherine, Nicholas, Alexandra, Michael, Frances, Jessica, Edward, Charlotte; grandchildren: Remy Myers, Lily Myers, Marley Myers, Isabel Low, Virginia Low, Christopher James Low, Grace Low, Aidan Low, Liam Low, Nicholas Reed, Eleanor Reed, Ulysses Low, Asa Low, Phinneaus Low, Zephyr Low, Gus Talbert, Charles Talbert, Henry Talbert, Lucy Talbert, and Kava Gage.

A funeral mass will be held 11:00 am on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at St. Augustine Cemetery. A burial will follow at the Robinson Cemetery.

Those wishing to express online condolences may do so at www.guareandsons.com.