Eddie "Poppy" Owen

1945 - 2019

Eddie "Poppy" Owen
November 19, 1945 - June 28, 2019
Resident of Los Gatos
Eddie Owen passed away on June 28 at Stanford Hospital with his wife Helen, their sons, grandchildren and other close family surrounding him as he lost his valiant fight against a rare autoimmune condition.
Although he worked hard his entire life, Eddie was foremost a husband, father and grandfather.
He was a friend to almost everyone he met with his welcoming smile and easy conversation. He called women "darlin" and loved golf, cowboy boots, country western music, fine wines, Italian food, jokes, good cigars and hunting trips with his son Dominic and close friends. A San Jose Sharks fan, Eddie went to games with his son Chris and his family for the past 25 years. If help was needed, Eddie was there. When Helen frequently said, "Eddie can do it"; he always did it willingly. Their mutual love and strong partnership benefited many charities and nonprofits throughout Silicon Valley. Eddie was a past president and board member of both Christmas in the Park and American Musical Theater. He also served on the board of San Jose Children's Musical Theater and chaired many golf tournaments benefiting O'Connor Hospital.
Eddie always partnered with Helen in her philanthropic efforts for area nonprofits, including JW House, Hope Services, Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, Cristo Rey High School, Italian American Heritage Foundation, Little Italy San Jose, Notable Music and Arts, American Cancer Society fundraisers such as Cattle Baron's Ball and Santa Clara University and the school's Board of Fellows.
Eddie and Helen shared the Distinguished Citizen Award from Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, Boy Scouts of America in 2007 and were recently recognized by Little Italy San Jose.
Eddie was born Nov. 19, 1945 in Bakersfield to Louis and Maude Owen, moving to San Jose at the age of three. A graduate of James Lick High School, he attended San Jose City College and worked at Coast Counties Trucking. Friday and Saturday nights were cruise nights in downtown San Jose. One night, in a scene reminiscent of "American Graffiti," Eddie spotted the petite Helen, who was cruising with her cousin Carole and her good friend Rosalie. Eddie followed them as they cruised First and Second Streets and when they pulled into Mel's Drive-In, Eddie parked right next to them. Saying his car radio wasn't working, Eddie asked to listen to Helen's radio, joining her and her friends in her car. Later that night, Eddie told a buddy that he had met his future wife.
After their wedding in 1967, Eddie went to work for his father-in-law's Marchese Farms. With properties in both Santa Clara and the San Joaquin Valleys, Eddie's job "working the ranches," was often dawn to dusk, seven days a week supervising the planting, growing and harvesting of cherries, apricots, tomatoes, onions, beans and other row crops. As his two sons Chris and Dominic grew, Eddie made time to mentor them in Indian Guides.
They also learned about the family business, sitting on the back of a flatbed truck and selling bags of onions to passersby.
The Marchese Farms cherry orchard at the corner of Homestead and Lawrence is now the site of Kaiser Permanente's Santa Clara Hospital and also JW House, which Helen and Eddie were instrumental in establishing.
As orchards and farms gave way to housing and buildings, Marchese Farms became Marchese Family Properties, focusing on shopping centers and other properties.
Eddie and Helen shared a love of Christmas and every year right after Halloween Eddie would pack up much of their house and bring out their 250 cartons of holiday decor — from wall hangings, towels and soap dispensers to china and salt and pepper shakers. By Thanksgiving the Owen home was Christmas Central and they generously invited friends to come by and enjoy, especially those with small children. Many considered Eddie the Valley's own Santa.
In 2017, Eddie and Helen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at Mission Santa Clara and hosting a party at Seascape in Aptos. That same year they attended the Country Music Awards in Nashville, where Eddie was very much at home in his cowboy hats, boots and western clothing. Eddie loved creating family memories by organizing trips to Hawaii, Disney World and Disneyland for his sons, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
In addition to Helen, Eddie leaves behind their sons Chris and wife Tami and Dominic. Grandchildren who will remember the man they called Poppy are Nicholas, Kayla, Bailey, Jolena, Cheyenne, Kalista and Charlotte. Eddie is also survived by his sisters Helen Politte and her family of Pearland, Texas, and Donna Sweet and her family of Renton, WA.
Eddie will be missed by his brother-in-law Chris Marchese, his wife Lisa and their children Joey, Elise, Paulina and Andrew. Helen and her family want to thank the amazing doctors, nurses and staff at O'Connor and Stanford Hospitals for their care and support.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Visitation Tuesday, July 9, 2019 from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at LIMA-CAMPAGNA-ALAMEDA MISSION CHAPEL, 600 S. Second Street, San Jose. Vigil Service Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. at SACRED HEART CHURCH OF SARATOGA, 13716 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga. Funeral Mass Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. at MISSION SANTA CLARA (located at Santa Clara University), 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Entombment to follow at SANTA CLARA MISSION CEMETERY, 490 Lincoln Street, Santa Clara.
Donations in Eddie's memory can be made to Santa Clara University Board of Fellows, JW House, Hope Services, Cancer CAREpoint, Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School, Little Italy San Jose or Stanford University either online at https://makeagift.stanford.edu or by mail to Stanford University Development Services, PO Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94309-0466. Please note that you would like gifts to go towards research into C3 glomerulonephritis.


View the online memorial for Eddie "Poppy"  Owen