William R. Owens

Lt. Col. William Ralph "Bill" Owens, age 72, died on Wednesday, February 4, 2015. Born in 1942 in Minneapolis to Olga Jepsen nḕe Lyberg. Graduated from Roosevelt High School and University of Minnesota in Electrical Engineering, and later received a Masters in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois. He married Carol Ann Johnson in 1964, and served in the US Army for four years, later in the Air National Guard in Wisconsin for 22 years, retiring as a Lt. Col. He was employed in the aerospace industry in Rockford, Ill. until retirement when he moved to Arizona to obtain a Masters in Optical Engineering at U of Arizona. He was employed in Tucson by Kaman and the last 6 years at Raytheon until he retired for good. He is survived by his wife, Carol, his sons John Randall Owens of Tucson and Mark R. Owens (Rachel) of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and four grandchildren, Rebekah, Abigail, Samuel, and Luke. Bill was proud of his Norwegian heritage, active in Sons of Norway and loved flying as a private pilot. He was an amateur astronomer, and was a docent at Kitt Peak. He and his wife operated Ferret Friends, Inc. ferret shelter. In lieu of flowers donations are appreciated to Ferret Friends,Inc., PO Box 594, Vail AZ 85641 or The American Heart Association. Memorial Service will be held Monday, March 9 at 11 am at Bring's Broadway Chapel, 6910 E. Broadway Boulevard, Tucson.