Samuel Joseph Owen

He was born in Camden, Arkansas on September 25, 1958, to Samuel Givens Owen and Bobbie Faye (Farris) Owen, both of whom preceded him in passing. He received a full athletic scholarship to Kansas State University in 1976 and was titled “Sudden Sam” by Kansas City area newspapers. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1981 with a degree in Construction Science and Management.

Sam was named after his father, so he was called “Little Sam.” That confused reporters and others calling to speak with him because he was 6’3”.

Sam was married to Tetiana (Gryshchenko) Owen on September 25th, 2011 in Kyiv, Ukraine. He worked as an executive construction project manager for over 40 years. He traveled globally for his job, taking him to Qatar and Jordan, where he met Tetiana. Most recently, his work included very large projects, including the Seattle Seawall, and construction projects for Facebook and Apple home offices near Cupertino, California.

He enjoyed music, singing, golf, and guitars and had a thirst for learning and doing new things. He loved art and intricate rugs. He danced and enjoyed life. His love for those things was contagious, as was his beautiful smile. Sam was generous, kind and helpful to everyone he met.

He and Tetiana retired to Ukraine in 2020, where they built a home and grew fresh vegetables and fruits. They enjoyed the outdoors and each other’s company, as well as the company of family and friends. They returned to Columbia, MO., in June 2024, when Sam became ill.

He is survived by his wife and stepson, Vadym, and Honey (their cat); his sister Christine Babel (Kent), their children and grandchildren; in-laws Tamara and Vasily Gryshchenko, sister-in law Victoria Chebotareva (Ilya); and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.