John Francis Owens

John Francis Owens was called for the activities of his life on August 2, 2009, in Good Shepherd Medical Center, Longview, Texas, after a sudden illness. He began this life on February 18, 1920, in Norton, Virginia. He graduated from Lebanon high school in Lebanon, Virginia, in 1938. After graduation, he attended Johnson City Business College and worked at North American Rayon Corporation in Tennessee. He served in the Air Force from 1942-1945 and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II as an administrative inspector and Master Sergeant. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1955 with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering. In 1957, he began a long career with Armco Steel in Houston until his retirement in 1988, in Longview. During his time in Houston and Longview he belonged to many organizations including the Texas Society of Professional Engineers.
He is survived by his wife, Clara Seale Owens, of Longview; son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Lori Owens of Austin; grandsons, Joshua and Aaron Owens; stepdaughter, Carolyn Moffitt Salery and husband James of Kingsport; sister and brother-in-law, Sibyl and George Beals of Kingsport, Tennessee; sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Robert Epley of Marion, North Carolina; sister-in-law, Ruby Owens of Flower Mound, Texas; and countless nieces and nephews across the country.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Audrey Winters Owens; parents, Edward and Alice Owens; brothers, Stuart, Henry, Cecil, James, Paul and Stanley Owens; sisters, Hazel and Russell Owens, Beulah Patterson and Gladys Mangum.
Those who knew John knew that he never did anything half-way. He was passionate about many things including his family, his work, his friends, his cooking, the great state of Texas, a fine cigar, the Longhorns, a good drink and living life to the fullest! One of his lifelong passions was the opera. In recent years he served on the board of Opera East Texas and was one of it's past-presidents. He spent much of his retirement working for the opera, working as a voting official in elections, taking care of his yard, and loving and caring for his family.
A "Celebration of Life" service will be 4-6 p.m. Thursday, August 6, 2009, at Rader Funeral Home, 1617 Judson Rd., Longview, Texas. A graveside service will take place in Kingsport, Tennessee, at East Lawn Memorial Park, 4997 Memorial Blvd., on Saturday, August 8, 2009, at 3 p.m. with Rev. Jack Edwards officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to: Opera East Texas, P.O. Box 1175, Longview, TX 75606