On April 13, 1937, Ralph Elwood Owens was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to his beloved parents, Thurman Eugene Owens, Sr. and Selma Dail Owens who preceded him in death. He shared a long and happy life with his wife of 61 years, Dottie, who left for heaven on December 27, 2021. Ralph departed this life to meet her on December 8, 2023, while living with his son and daughter-in-law, Mark Stephen and Marcy Owens, in Chesapeake, Virginia, whom he leaves to cherish his memory along with his daughters, Amanda "Mandy" Leigh-Owens Hampton and Andrea Lynne Owens.
He reunited in heaven with his wife; parents; mother-in-law, Dot Lewis; brother, Noni Owens; and sisters, Mary Whitehead and Jackie Manzione, as well as his treasured grandson, Mason Paul Rhodes. He leaves behind his adored grandchildren, Aaron Michael Coley (Hannah), Cassidy Moreno (Rick), Colby Owens, Victoria (Christian) Warren; Morgan, Courtney (Justin), Taylor and Sara Rhodes, as well as his brother, Otis Owens.
As he battled the end stages of COPD the last few months of his life, he was surrounded by his family and enjoyed the great pleasure of spending time and celebrating the first birthday with his precious great-granddaughter, Oaklynn Warren.
He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Jo Anne Oliver and brother-in-law, Roy Phillip Lewis, Jr. (Trisha) whom he loved dearly. Other dear family left to mourn him is his best friend, Bert Culpepper, Jr. and his wife, Carol, with whom he shared many life experiences and memorable times. His other cousins, nieces, nephews, family, and friends will sorely miss the joy and kindness he brought to them.
Ralph had a simple life philosophy, which he gives all credit to how he was raised by his mom. She taught him at an early age to love and treat others the way that he wanted to be treated. This led to the rich joy of life he experienced every day. He left no one who met him untouched by his love and kindness. Many considered him the "gold standard" on how to treat people, whether a close friend or a stranger. He was entirely devoted to his loved ones and never wavered in his support of their lives and well-being.
Ralph came from a hard-working family. Both of his parents were from North Carolina and grew up on farms. As a kid, he would go to Carolina in the hot summer and work on his uncle's farm picking watermelons to sell on the "block" and preparing hogs in the spring for food for the upcoming year. Throughout his life, he held many jobs taking care of his family and doing whatever it took to provide for his family… be it driving a delivery truck or starting a lawn service. Sometimes he held three different jobs to care for all he loved.
Early in life while sitting at Harry Hunt Junior High School, he'd hear the sirens ring out as fire trucks poured out of the fire station across the street to head to an emergency. He'd run to the windows to watch the brave men leave. He marveled at the sounds and dreamed of riding on a fire truck and becoming a firefighter. His lifelong dream was fulfilled on December 7, 1959 when he became a member of the Portsmouth Fire Department. He attained his dream career at 23 years old and accomplished many things during his 35 year career, saving many lives, making lifelong friendships with his fellow brothers with his biggest moment coming as he was named "Firefighter of the Year" in 1966 for saving his Captain's life in the big commercial structure fire at Williams Ford on January 18, 1966.
He never knew a stranger and spoke to everyone. He would lend a hand to anyone who needed it, even if it meant leaving the house immediately for a long drive to get to them. When a neighbor's husband passed, he led the initiative to make sure her home was decorated for Christmas every year.
He had many passions. He was known in his early years in Portsmouth for driving a very "hot" 1956 Ford Crown Victoria with whitewall tires and chrome galore. Another was dancing the "jitterbug" and having a grand time listening to 50's music (mostly Elvis whom he saw in Norfolk as a teenager before Elvis was "the king"). He was the life of the party and lit up a room with his humor and joy. He was a devoted Washington Redskins fan and could often be seen in his "leather" jacket sporting their logo.
He spent many years playing golf, mostly in Florida with Bert and Will, where he finally shot his age, in the eighties. That was a day to celebrate for Dad. The last years of his life were spent at his home in Melbourne, Florida where he often golfed but more importantly lived out "six Saturdays and a Sunday" each week in the sunny, southern weather. Once again, he became a treasure and beacon of love to his neighbors, whom he grew very close to and could be counted on to assist with anything they needed, with many of them calling him the "Mayor of Fieldstone." There is not a person who met Ralph that could deny he was a "one of a kind" and no one who knew him had anything bad to say about him.
Visitation with the family will be Monday, December 18, 2023 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Sturtevant Funeral Home, 5201 Portsmouth Boulevard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in Sturtevant Chapel with a graveside service following at Olive Branch Cemetery. Thanks to Retired Portsmouth Fire Chief Jim Hoffler, Dad will have his final ride to his gravesite on Dad's very first fire truck, a fully restored 1936 Seagrave, and joined by our Portsmouth Fire Department Honor Guard to show respect for Dad's 35 great years of service
On April 13, 1937, Ralph Elwood Owens was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to his beloved parents, Thurman Eugene Owens, Sr. and Selma Dail Owens who preceded him in death. He shared a long and happy life with his wife of 61 years, Dottie, who left for heaven on December 27, 2021. Ralph departed this life to meet her on December 8, 2023, while living with his son and daughter-in-law, Mark Stephen and Marcy Owens, in Chesapeake, Virginia, whom he leaves to cherish his memory along with his daughters, Amanda "Mandy" Leigh-Owens Hampton and Andrea Lynne Owens.
He reunited in heaven with his wife; parents; mother-in-law, Dot Lewis; brother, Noni Owens; and sisters, Mary Whitehead and Jackie Manzione, as well as his treasured grandson, Mason Paul Rhodes. He leaves behind his adored grandchildren, Aaron Michael Coley (Hannah), Cassidy Moreno (Rick), Colby Owens, Victoria (Christian) Warren; Morgan, Courtney (Justin), Taylor and Sara Rhodes, as well as his brother, Otis Owens.
As he battled the end stages of COPD the last few months of his life, he was surrounded by his family and enjoyed the great pleasure of spending time and celebrating the first birthday with his precious great-granddaughter, Oaklynn Warren.
He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Jo Anne Oliver and brother-in-law, Roy Phillip Lewis, Jr. (Trisha) whom he loved dearly. Other dear family left to mourn him is his best friend, Bert Culpepper, Jr. and his wife, Carol, with whom he shared many life experiences and memorable times. His other cousins, nieces, nephews, family, and friends will sorely miss the joy and kindness he brought to them.
Ralph had a simple life philosophy, which he gives all credit to how he was raised by his mom. She taught him at an early age to love and treat others the way that he wanted to be treated. This led to the rich joy of life he experienced every day. He left no one who met him untouched by his love and kindness. Many considered him the "gold standard" on how to treat people, whether a close friend or a stranger. He was entirely devoted to his loved ones and never wavered in his support of their lives and well-being.
Ralph came from a hard-working family. Both of his parents were from North Carolina and grew up on farms. As a kid, he would go to Carolina in the hot summer and work on his uncle's farm picking watermelons to sell on the "block" and preparing hogs in the spring for food for the upcoming year. Throughout his life, he held many jobs taking care of his family and doing whatever it took to provide for his family… be it driving a delivery truck or starting a lawn service. Sometimes he held three different jobs to care for all he loved.
Early in life while sitting at Harry Hunt Junior High School, he'd hear the sirens ring out as fire trucks poured out of the fire station across the street to head to an emergency. He'd run to the windows to watch the brave men leave. He marveled at the sounds and dreamed of riding on a fire truck and becoming a firefighter. His lifelong dream was fulfilled on December 7, 1959 when he became a member of the Portsmouth Fire Department. He attained his dream career at 23 years old and accomplished many things during his 35 year career, saving many lives, making lifelong friendships with his fellow brothers with his biggest moment coming as he was named "Firefighter of the Year" in 1966 for saving his Captain's life in the big commercial structure fire at Williams Ford on January 18, 1966.
He never knew a stranger and spoke to everyone. He would lend a hand to anyone who needed it, even if it meant leaving the house immediately for a long drive to get to them. When a neighbor's husband passed, he led the initiative to make sure her home was decorated for Christmas every year.
He had many passions. He was known in his early years in Portsmouth for driving a very "hot" 1956 Ford Crown Victoria with whitewall tires and chrome galore. Another was dancing the "jitterbug" and having a grand time listening to 50's music (mostly Elvis whom he saw in Norfolk as a teenager before Elvis was "the king"). He was the life of the party and lit up a room with his humor and joy. He was a devoted Washington Redskins fan and could often be seen in his "leather" jacket sporting their logo.
He spent many years playing golf, mostly in Florida with Bert and Will, where he finally shot his age, in the eighties. That was a day to celebrate for Dad. The last years of his life were spent at his home in Melbourne, Florida where he often golfed but more importantly lived out "six Saturdays and a Sunday" each week in the sunny, southern weather. Once again, he became a treasure and beacon of love to his neighbors, whom he grew very close to and could be counted on to assist with anything they needed, with many of them calling him the "Mayor of Fieldstone." There is not a person who met Ralph that could deny he was a "one of a kind" and no one who knew him had anything bad to say about him.
Visitation with the family will be Monday, December 18, 2023 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Sturtevant Funeral Home, 5201 Portsmouth Boulevard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in Sturtevant Chapel with a graveside service following at Olive Branch Cemetery. Thanks to Retired Portsmouth Fire Chief Jim Hoffler, Dad will have his final ride to his gravesite on Dad's very first fire truck, a fully restored 1936 Seagrave, and joined by our Portsmouth Fire Department Honor Guard to show respect for Dad's 35 great years of service
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