Glen D. Owen Jr., 93, Gunnery Officer on the USS Sigourney

Glen D. Owen Jr., 93, of Avon Lake, formerly of Rocky River, passed away peacefully surrounded by family Friday, March 23, 2012 at his home.

Mr. Owen was bornon June 16, 1918 and raised in Cleveland. He graduated from Shaw High School in 1936, and from Miami University in 1941.

From 1941 to 1943 he taught Aviation Ground School at both John Carroll University and Baldwin-Wallace College to Navy V-5 students.

After earning  his commercial pilots license in 1942, he joined the Navy in 1943 as a gunnery officer on the USS Sigourney destroyer stationed in the Pacific. He was discharged in 1946 and continued to teach ground school to veterans on the GI Bill throughout the Cleveland area.

He eventually joined Pella Windows and Doors in Cleveland as a salesman, working for the for 38 years before retiring in 1986.

Mr. Owen met his future wife Mary Ellen Byron on a blind date. The couple wed on Sept. 11, 1948.

He was a member of both the Cleveland Yachting Club and Beta Theta Pi. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Mr. Owen is survived by his loving children; Kathy Kostak (Jack) of Dayton, Cindy Moffat (Paul) of Bay Village, Glen D. Timothy Jr. of Van Nuys, CA., Suzanne Owen of El Segundo, CA. Pat Wessel (Mark) of Avon Lake and Dianne Mahoney (Brendan) of Chicago, IL. Ten grandchildren, Caroline, Matthew, Beth, Michelle, Meghan, Kathleen, Jackie, Michael, Sarah and Claire; and three great-grandchildren, Alex, Emma and Owen. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Ellen, and his parents, Glen Sr. and Edith Owen.

His family would like to express their eternal thanks to Aminata Cisse who both loved and cared for him.

In lieu of flowers the family suggest memorial donations in Glen's name to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20420

Services for Mr. Owen will be held in June.