David E. Owens

David Everett Owens – “Dave” to his friends and colleagues – passed away peacefully at O’Neill Healthcare in Middleburg Heights, OH, on April 23, 2023., with complications from a fall he suffered last October.  Born in 1931 in Alliance, Ohio, he played high school football for the Alliance Aviators. He was a graduate of Mount Union College, where he was a proud member of the Purple Raiders football team and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He subsequently earned master’s degrees in civil engineering from Purdue University and urban planning from Case Institute of Technology.  His career began in the Cleveland office of the engineering firm Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff (HNTB), continuing at the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), where he was a regional transportation planner and technical advisor from 1970 to 2004. His work was honored with the Greater Cleveland Public Works Performance Award in 1995.  In 1959, he married the former Suzanne Roach, a schoolteacher in the Rocky River City Schools, starting their life together in Lakewood, Ohio, before moving to Olmsted Falls in 1966. They took great pride in refurbishing their 1842 home, and their work on the house, barn, and gardens was recognized by two preservation awards from the City of Olmsted Falls. Following his retirement, he earned his Master Gardener certification from The Ohio State University Extension and enjoyed many educational travel adventures through both Road Scholar and the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Baldwin Wallace University. With his dear friend, Ruth Rayle, he enjoyed concerts and theater and visiting as many of The Plain Dealer’s annual Best Restaurants as he could every year.  Deeply devoted to his community, he was a longtime member of Olmsted Community Church, where he volunteered on numerous committees over the years, and Olmsted Kiwanis Club, where he was active in regular fundraising activities and community projects. He also served on the Olmsted Falls City Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board for several years. Predeceased by his parents, Dorris and Everett Owens; his sister, Arlene McLarren; and his wife, Suzanne (nee Roach). Survived by his son, Charles, of Buffalo, N.Y.; nieces Lisa (Bob) Sintic, Laura McLarren, and their families; nephew Lenny McLarren; and many beloved friends and former colleagues.  Dave’s family recognizes with deep gratitude the compassionate and loving care he received over the past six years from Nana Dakwa and the staff of Griswold Home Care.   Memorial Service, Friday, April 28 at 11:00 a.m. at Olmsted Falls Community Church, 7853 Main Street, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, 44138.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Olmsted Falls Kiwanis Student Loan and Scholarship Fund, PO Box 38363, Olmsted Falls, OH 44138; Olmsted Community Church Endowment Fund, 7853 Main Street, Olmsted Falls, OH 44138; or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

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