John Owen

John Owen, age 95, died on September 28, 2018 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

John was a wonderful man and special treasure to his family and friends. He had a long rich life, and his family and friends feel fortunate and proud to have been part of it.

John was born in Mayfield, Kentucky in 1923. His parents, JC Owen and Lydia Owen, raised John and his brother Robert in rural Poplar Bluff, Missouri. John always remembered his father’s friendliness and solid basic values, his mother’s teaching and artistry, and his brother’s broad knowledge. John praised his parents for their loving guidance and for raising him to believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the eternal afterlife.

John graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1941. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in 1944. He received his Master of Science in Industrial Psychology, With Honors, from Penn State University in 1951.

John arrived in Lancaster in September 1944 and began a long career in industrial and organizational psychology with the Hamilton Watch Company and its successor companies. John retired from Hamilton Watch successor General Defense Corporation in 1988 as Vice President – Human Resources. Thereafter, he continued as a human resources consultant through his own company, Performance Systems International, until he retired at age 78.

John met his wife Marjory, from Martinsburg, West Virginia, on a blind date during their college days. They married in 1946 and soon settled in Grandview Heights. Their three sons remember both of their parents quite fondly. They remember their father John for the guidance and deep love he gave to them throughout their lives.

John was a Pennsylvania-licensed psychologist for his full career. He was also certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. He had numerous professional memberships including the American Psychological Association, the Eastern Psychological Association, and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

John had extensive community participation over the years. He had affiliations with Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lancaster Area Arts Council, United Way of Lancaster County, the YMCA, Associates in Downtown Lancaster, National Urban League of Lancaster, and the Lancaster Guidance Clinic.

John was a founding member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

In his final years, John courageously surrendered much of himself and came to rely upon the many fine health care providers at Calvary Fellowship Homes. He often told us he was very grateful to these individuals for their loving care. We, the sons, fondly recall all of these people.

John was preceded in death by his wife Marjory, who died in 2010. He is survived by his sons John, David, and Jeffrey and Jeffrey’s wife Anneliese. He is also survived by his brother Robert and his wife Edith, niece Suzanne and her husband Christopher and their children Robert and Julia.

We will hold a visitation and viewing in honor of John on Wednesday October 3, 2018 from 6 to 8 pm at the DeBord Snyder Funeral Home located at 141 East Orange Street in Lancaster. We will hold a final visitation and viewing in honor of John on Thursday October 4 at 10 am at the same location and a funeral service thereafter at 11 am.