Lasting Memories

James David Owen
Oct. 19, 1959-Aug. 21, 2026
Eureka, California
Submitted by Maria M Owen

ames David Owen (Jim), age 66, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026, in Eureka, California, surrounded by his loving family. Born on October 19, 1959 in Lafayette, Indiana, Jim was the middle child of three, raised by his parents, James and Patricia, alongside his older sister, Karen, and younger sister, Becky. He spent his childhood in Lincoln, Nebraska then grew up in Palo Alto, California with his family in the 1970s. He worked in various projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, building the Helms Creek hydroelectric plant, doing electronics tech engineering at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, running stage lights at the Saddle Rack for the likes of Tina Turner, Queen Ida, Willie Nelson, BB King, Ray Charles, Tom Fogerty and the Righteous Brothers, and maintaining the equipment on the campus of Varian and CPI in Palo Alto. He spent his lifetime learning to do new things, mostly by helping out anyone who needed a hand in any department at the company where he worked. No job was too big or small for him. But his favorite thing was lifting people up, whether it was by teaching a janitor new skills to make him hirable as a maintenance mechanic, or coaching softball for girls (Ted Lasso style), or by looking out for individuals who were otherwise ignored by society. Jim was a truly great man whose generosity defined his life. Known as the type of guy who would willingly give you the shirt off his back, his readiness to lend a hand was a profound blessing to all who knew him. Above all, he was a devoted husband and a wonderful father—always present and an integral part of his daughter’s lives. He is survived by his beloved wife of 31 years, Maria; his daughters, Jennifer and Lynae; his sons-in-law, Tyler and Luis; and his treasured grandchildren, Oliver, Javier, Piper, Emma, and Ethan. He also leaves behind a wide circle of extended family, dear friends, and neighbors who will miss him deeply. Jim’s warmth, kindness, and unwavering spirit will be sorely missed, but he will never be forgotten.