Richard Owen

Richard H. Owen NORFOLK - Richard Herbert Owen, devoted husband and father, died Sept. 11, 2009. He was born July 9, 1942, in Eastport, Maine. He spent his childhood in rural Pembroke, Maine, playing sports, cheering on his hero Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots and roaming through the woods of Down East Washington County fishing and hunting. With his father's encouragement, he entered the Bath Iron Works Shipbuilders Apprentice Program in 1960, and graduated in 1964. Richard was employed by Bath Iron Works for 20 years where he quickly moved up the management ranks to become plant manager of the Bath Iron Works Harding Plant in 1969. He spent his entire 40-year career in the shipbuilding and repair industry, both nationally and internationally, managing shipyards in Maine, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Panama City, Panama Central America. Most recently, he held the position of shipyard plant manager in Philadelphia for the Metro Machine Corporation. He later joined Metro Machine in Norfolk as program manager and as a member of the company's Board of Directors. Richard felt a close bond to his colleagues at Metro Machine who have shared in our grief. He truly considered them family. His wife, Eileen; son, Sasha J. Owen, wife Denise; children, Nick and Nadia and son Russell L. Owen, wife Kristina, children Liam, Heath and Clara, would like to extend their sincere, heartfelt appreciation for the help and support they provided his family throughout his illness. We would also like to extend special thanks to our son Sasha's L-3 Unidyne co-workers for their thoughtful support of him throughout the most difficult times of his father's illness. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel, 1501 Colonial Ave., (Ghent). The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the chapel. Online condolences may be offered to the family through hdoliver.com.