William H. Owens, 87, of Scottdale, passed away Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at his residence. A love so strong, less than 48 hours after losing his beloved wife, Kathleen, Bill passed away surrounded by his loving family after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. A lifelong resident of Scottdale, Bill was born Jan. 10, 1930, a son of the late Clarence and Edith (Evans) Owens. He grew up in the Browntown area of Scottdale and loved playing ball with his buddies. Bill graduated from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Dental Medicine and immediately joined the Army. He was stationed in England on an Air Force base as the base dentist. He was joined there by his wife, Kathleen (whom he married April 14, 1952) and his young son, Bill Jr. Upon returning home, he set up his dental practice on Chestnut St., in Scottdale, where he would go on to serve the community for 35 years before retiring in 1989. Bill was a charter member of the Scottdale Kiwanis Club and was active in the Scottdale Community Civic Industrial Association and the Scottdale Elks Lodge. He and his wife were co-owners of "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt" franchise in Mt. Pleasant from 1989-1994. Bill enjoyed many hobbies over his lifetime including baseball and fast pitch softball in his younger days. He was also an avid golfer and bowler, participating in numerous leagues over the years. He enjoyed their couple's card club and loved to camp and travel. The family spent several weeks each summer vacationing in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his brothers and sisters, Joanne Pritts, Barbara Owens, Dr. Thomas Richard Owens and Clarence "Ted" Owens, along with his favorite feline, Fritz, and his childhood pup, Honey Boy. Bill is survived by his loving family; his children, William H. (Terri) Owens Jr., Deborah A. Owens and Diane C. (Ron) Byers; his grandchildren, Samantha (Ed) Hirshberg, Michael (Mallory) Owens, Gina (Jon) Ledwich, Ariel (Kaleb) Cypher and Aleia (Joel Humbrecht) Byers; his great-grandchildren, Juliette, Benjamin, Helena, Walter, James, Esme, Liam, and two on the way! Bill also loved his grand-dogs, Jojo and Kramer; and his cat, Maizie.
Personalized arrangements are under the professional supervision of the ROBERT B. FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME, 105 Spring St., Scottdale, 724-887-5300, www.fergusonfunerals.com. GPS: N40 degrees 06.136, W79 degrees 35.278. Family and friends will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home chapel, where prayers of transfer will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Funeral Mass, celebrating the lives of Bill and his wife, Kathleen, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Partner Parish of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Scottdale, with Father Andrew Kawecki as celebrant. Graveside committal service and interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family wishes to extend their sincere appreciation to Dr. Means, the Amedisys Hospice along with his nurses, Carol, Jill, Dana, Ashley, Lisa and Lindsay. We have been blessed with the very best caregivers and could never thank them enough for the love and dedication they showed our parents. God Bless you Cynthia Sowers, Nancy Miles, Paula Connors, Debbie Anthony, Jackie Sowers, Selina Szczygiel, Vicki Ruby, Sharon Barclay, Kait Koring and granddaughter, Aleia. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Animal Friends of Westmoreland, 216 Depot St., Youngwood, PA 15697, in memory of our parents. "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you!" Winnie the Pooh. Love Lasts Forever!