NTSA Says Goodbye to Ellie Lowder

The NTSA is saddened that Eleanor (“Ellie”) Lowder, one of the original pioneers of the 403(b) world, passed away on Sept. 21, 2022.

Born in 1938 in Virden, IL, Ellie was a loving mother and dedicated wife, and in a time in which it was more traditional for women to not enter the workforce, she defied those norms and built a successful career and business.

Ellie was involved in the 403(b) tax-sheltered account markets since 1961 and was regarded as an expert in the industry. She served as national sales director, qualified annuities for Transamerica Life & Annuity Company, Chief Marketing Officer for Delta Life & Annuity, and a Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant at TSA Training & Consulting Services.

Ellie’s volunteer work with the NTSA spanned decades, and she was the co-author of The Source and The Best Practices Manual. She was part of the Professional Education Committee for many years and generated much content for the MarketBeat and Tech Talk features. She also was the voice behind “Ask Ellie,” the NTSA hotline for questions and answers. 

But to most of the NTSA Family, Ellie was much more than a colleague, she also was a friend. In the words of Sue Diehl, “We will miss her terribly, but I doubt whether any of us will forget her!”