Obituary of Frederick Joseph Owens

Frederick Joseph Owens (aka “FredO”, “Old School”) passed on Monday, September 4, 2023, after a 3-year battle with cancer.  He was born in Fort Monmouth, NJ on February 27, 1963, to Frank E. and Evelyn C. Owens. Fred graduated from Herndon High School in 1981 before attending St. Francis University in Loretta, PA and earning a Teaching Degree from Shephard University in Shepherdstown, WV. Inspired by a well-earned calling to stand up for those in need, he later earned a Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University in 1997 and practiced law in Wilmington, NC until 2019.

Fred loved to have a good time, but more than anything else he loved for others to have a good time. When he wasn’t cracking the spine of a fresh book or lost among the golf links he loved so well, he was finding a way to bring joy to himself and others. Whether he was cultivating this joy with a night of drinks with friends; watching and talking sports (especially about his beloved Cowboys); or debating politics or the latest news, the tonic effect of his infectious joy was the same. In the words of Mother Teresa, “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love... He gives most who gives with joy.”

Fred was preceded in death by his father Frank E. Owens, and is survived by his mother Evelyn C. Owens of Ashburn, VA; brother James Owens of Leesburg, VA; sisters Catherine Bischof (Tom) of Yorktown, VA; and Sue Dowling (Brian) of Leesburg, VA. He is also survived by his nieces Tori Gelbert (Wade), Kellie Lovely (Keith), and Danielle Dowling, as well as his nephew Ty Owens (Elizabeth).  Fred was also blessed with a great niece Audrey Gelbert and 2 great nephews Aidan Gelbert and Levi Lovely along with a long list of cherished friends.

A Celebration of Life will take place on September 16th in Cascades, Virginia. Please visit http://evite.me/38Mcj8NdTh for more information. He will be interned at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast North Carolina at bgcsenc.org.