Josephine Anne Owens

Josephine “Joanne” Owens, 83, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, passed away from cancer on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at the John Knox Village Hospice Center. She was surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 8, 1932, to Frederick and Mary Anwander. She graduated from Hogan High School and studied nursing at St. Mary’s School of Nursing, where she earned her RN degree. In 1953, she married Herbert Owens and raised three daughters in Raytown, Missouri.

Joanne worked several years as a nurse but was mostly a stay-at-home mom. She volunteered as a volleyball coach for her daughters’ teams and was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. She was active in her parish of many years, Our Lady of Lourdes in Raytown, and loved to bowl, golf and play bridge. She was also an avid and adept crossword puzzle buff. Her devotion to her family and her silly sense of humor will be sorely missed.

Joanne was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Marvin and Charles, her sister Marie, and her husband, Herb. She is survived by her sisters, Margaret Kilty of Houston, Texas, and Irene Birdsong of Lee’s Summit, as well as her daughters, Barbara Hugunin (Mark) and Patty Sack (Tom) of Lee’s Summit and Maureen Musil (Mark) of Olathe, Kansas. She had 10 grandchildren: Scott, Andy, Julie, Lisa, Amy, Bradley, Kevin, Emily, Evan and Elyse, as well as three great-grandchildren: Nora, Harper and Ellie. She also leaves behind a good friend of many years, Kent Mahaffey.

A visitation will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church in Lee’s Summit, followed by a Celebration of Life Mass at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.

The family would like to thank the staff of John Knox Village Memory Care #1, Vitas Hospice and Village Hospice for their loving care of Joanne.

Condolences may be left online at www.mcgilleystatelinechapel.com. Arrangements, McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO 64145, (816) 942-6180.