Born in Calcutta in 1944 to John Hannah, a director at the Metal Box Company, and Eulalia Hannah (née Abrahams), Hilary moved with her family to Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania).[3] She attended Red Gables, Carlisle for her schooling, while her brother, Howard, was enrolled at Fettes in Edinburgh.[3]
After completing her education at an art college, Lowinger briefly worked in fashion design. Later, on a train journey to Nottingham, she met Ernie Lowinger, an architect.[3] They had two children: Boris, who became an animator for a video game company, and Harriett, who took a role as a project manager in a tech firm.[3]
