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Oblate Deacon Owen John David Grimes
1938 - 2020
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Oblate Deacon Grimes Obituary
Born in Newark on Sept. 12, 1938, Deacon Owen was raised in Sparta then lived in Newton before moving to Kenilworth. He proudly served in the United States Navy for 20 years, retiring as a lieutenant commander.
He owned and operated a restaurant from 1980 to 1983. From 1984 until 1987, he taught at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, then worked for the State of New Jersey Department of Corrections before his retirement in 2000. He was ordained as a deacon on May 3, 1986 by the bishop of Paterson and became a cloister oblate at St. Paul's Abbey on Jan. 25, 2009. His education was extensive and included his A.A. in alcohol studies from Seattle University, his B.S. in math/physics from Marquette University, his M.A. in guidance and counseling from Kean University, his M.A. in rehabilitation counseling from Seattle University and his diaconal studies were at St. Elizabeth's College.
Deacon Owen's diaconal assignments included assistant pastor at St. James the Greater in Montague and St. Thomas the Apostle in Hainesville, St. Joseph Church in Newton and deacon at St. Barnabas Church in Bayville.
The son of the late Lawrence and Dorothy (Smith) Grimes, Deacon Owen was also predeceased by his sisters, Elizabeth (Bette) Baker and Patricia (Pat) Ritchie. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, as well as his brothers at Saint Paul's Abbey.
Due to the coronavirus, the funeral Mass and burial in the abbey's Christ the King Cemetery are limited to the monks of the abbey.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High Street, Newton. Memorial donations may be made to St. Paul's Abbey, PO Box 7, Newton, NJ 07860. Online condolences may be offered at www.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Oblate Deacon Grimes
Sponsored by The New Jersey Herald and njherald.com.
6 Entries
Moshe Weissman
May 30, 2021
I was a student in Talmudical Academy of Adelphia (high school) from 2000-2004. Deacon Owen was known to me as "Mr. Grimes", where he taught my science class. While I did not appreciate the effort that he put in to his teaching at the time, in the years after I graduated high school, I did realize and appreciate what he had done for me.
He was a fair and dedicated teacher. He taught well and thoroughly. He took me out to eat once, on his tab. We were not particularly close, and I certainly did nothing to deserve special attention, he just wanted to connect with his students. He was a good man and I am happy that I was blessed to have him as my teacher for 2 years.
Unfortunately, I never reached out to him to express my appreciation while he was still us.
Moshe Weissman
Moshe A Weissman
May 30, 2021
I was a student in Talmudical Academy of Adelphia (high school) from 2000-2004. Deacon Owen was known to me as "Mr. Grimes", where he taught my science class. While I did not appreciate the effort that he put in to his teaching at the time, in the years after I graduated high school, I did realize and appreciate what he had done for me.
He was a fair and dedicated teacher. He taught well and thoroughly. He took me out to eat once, on his tab. We were not particularly close, and I certainly did nothing to deserve special attention, he just wanted to connect with his students. He was a good man and I am happy that I was blessed to have him as my teacher for 2 years.
Unfortunately, I never reached out to him to express my appreciation while he was still us.
Moshe Weissman
Edward Kately
May 5, 2020
"A true scholar and gentleman and one heck of a nice guy" One of a kind. R.I.P.
May 5, 2020
A true scholar and gentleman, and one heck of a nice guy. One of a kind.
Jim Lockwood
May 5, 2020
I had the honor of serving Mass with Deacon John at St. Joe's. His reverence for the Sacred Liturgy was an inspiration, and his knowledge of the liturgical ceremonials made serving an even more rewarding experience.
Always a fun day with you
Shelli Ritchie
May 4, 2020
Rest In Peace Uncle Jack , you were loved , and will be missed by many .
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