Elsie Ford Owen

OWEN, Elsie Ford, age 98 of Lantana, Florida, died Friday, June 5, 2015. She was predeceased by her husband of 32 years, James Harry "Jack" Ford, who died suddenly on December 19, 1982 and her 2nd husband, Oscar G. Owen, who died on July 15, 1997. Mrs. Owen was a member of Friendship United Methodist Church, Friendship, Maryland. She was born in Boyce, Maryland on May 5, 1917, the 3rd child of Harry and Laura Lilian Burton, who came to the U. S. from England in 1911. Her family moved to Florida in 1925. After graduating from Palm Beach High School in 1933, she attended Secretarial School and then began a U. S. Government career in 1945 at Morrison Field in West Palm Beach; transferring to Headquarters, Army Air Force at the Pentagon in November 1943 and retiring from the Air Research and Development Command at Andrews Air Force Base in November 1974. She was a member of the West Palm Beach Garden Club.

She was predeceased by her brother, Frank; sister and brother-in-law, Dora and Dan Slaton; and sister and brother-in-law, Edith and Hilliard Smith. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Lilian and Richard Slaton; nieces, Elaine Slaton, Elizabeth Barr, Shirley McKee (husband, Paul), Patricia Ford, Lilian Mair, Mildred Fattibene, Alma Ford and Sarah Stallings; nephews, Burton, Douglas and Gregory Smith (wife, Arlene), Douglas and Donald Ford; and stepsons, Carlisle Owen (wife, Linda) and Gaines Owen. Also surviving are great and great, great nephews and nieces, including Michael, Scott, Mae, Caris, and Quinlyn Cummings; Hillary and Sarah Smith; Sarah, Rey, Gabe, Elena, and Lucia Rico; Cary and Lawson McKee; Sean, Spencer and Jaylen Revere Slaton; Rachell, Christina and Eric Smith; Bonnie Dean; Debbie Sandlin; Christy Lindsey and Susan Lynch.

Memorial Services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at QUATTLEBAUM FUNERAL, CREMATION AND EVENT CENTER at HILLCREST, 6411 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33405, with Dr. William R. Stepp, officiating. Inurnment will take place at a later date with her husband, James Harry Ford in the Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery, Friendship, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407.