Owen Bert Patotzka

Owen was born on August 8, 1939, in Houston, Texas, to Bertha Owen Wilson of Houston and Edward Henry Patotzka of Los Angeles. In 1945, the family embarked on a memorable cross-country road trip from Houston to Monrovia, California, near Los Angeles — stopping along the way at the Grand Canyon and other points of wonder — beginning a new chapter of life in Southern California that would shape Owen's remarkable journey.

A proud Bruin, Owen attended UCLA, graduating in 1961 with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting with highest honors. That same year, he launched his professional career with Deloitte and Touche LLP, joining the firm's Los Angeles office, where he would rise over thirty years to become Director of Tax Operations and Tax Partner.

It was at work that Owen found not only his calling, but the love of his life. He met Barbara Neese in the office, and in September 1965, the two were married in Los Angeles. Their partnership was in every sense complete — in life, in love, and in work. Even in their later years, Owen and Barbara continued to share an office, working side by side until they both officially retired in 2019, after nearly six decades of professional service that had included Owen's sole practitioner accounting business in Oxnard, and his role as Special Consultant to Washington Mutual Bank from 1992 to 2006.

In semi-retirement, Owen and Barbara embraced the freedom to explore. They traveled across the United States, to Hawaii, to Mexico, and to several destinations in Europe — adventures that reflected the same curiosity and spirit that had carried a young family across the country to the Grand Canyon so many decades before.

Owen's commitment to his community ran deep. A lifelong and devoted UCLA alumnus, he served on the Medical Center Advisory Board of UCLA and held a Lifetime Membership in the UCLA Chancellor's Associates. He was deeply committed to the mission of Planned Parenthood, serving on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Federation, as President of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties. His leadership across these organizations reflected a decades-long dedication to healthcare access and advocacy.

The arts held a special place in Owen's heart. He served as a Board of Director and Treasurer of the Ensemble Theater Company in Santa Barbara, and as a member of the Board of the Moonlight Cultural Foundation. But his love of music and theater was also deeply personal — Owen could reliably be heard whistling or singing a tune, and he was a devoted patron of the Hollywood Bowl, the many theaters of Los Angeles, and the local theaters in Oxnard and Vista. Broadway plays and live music brought him genuine joy throughout his life.

Nothing, however, lit Owen up quite like his grandchildren. Known to them simply and warmly as "Granddad," he and Barbara made regular trips to the Bay Area over many years to cheer Jack and Megan on at their soccer games — a tradition that spoke volumes about the kind of man he was.

Owen is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Barbara Neese Patotzka; his son, Douglas O. Patotzka; his daughter, Debby Patotzka Cunningham, and her husband, John Lindsay Cunningham III; and his cherished grandchildren, John Lindsay Cunningham IV (Jack) and Megan Lee Cunningham — all of Danville, California. He was preceded in death by his brother, Edward H. Patotzka, and his parents, Bertha Owen Wilson Patotzka and Edward Henry Patotzka.

Owen will be remembered as a man who brought excellence to everything he touched — his profession, his community, the arts, and the people he loved. He leaves behind a legacy measured not only in the institutions he served and the causes he championed, but in the whistled melodies that filled a room, the miles traveled beside his beloved Barbara, and the pride of a Granddad cheering from the sidelines.