Dawn Owens

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere at the big Margaritaville in the sky. Dawn Owens cruised on back home Monday, June 1, 2026 in Atlanta, GA at the age of 89. Born in Brooklyn on August 3, 1936 to Myrtle Ahrene and John Bauer, Dawn never lost her New York accent or tenacity. She knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in education; she received a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and went on to earn her Master’s and Educational Specialist degrees from Georgia State University. She began her teaching career in elementary and middle schools, and later taught Advanced Placement American History at Morrow High School. She went on to teach Social Studies Methods courses and supervised student teachers at Mercer University and Oglethorpe University, ultimately serving as the Director of Professional Practice for graduate students in the education program at Oglethorpe University.

Dawn was a fierce advocate for public education, for teachers, and for students. She believed deeply in increased funding for public schools, higher salaries for teachers, and better resources for students and parents. She taught and inspired hundreds of students and educators during her vast career, and she cherished each day she spent in the classroom doing what she loved. Dawn spent her summers on the coast of Georgia, at her beloved Tybee Island, drinking margaritas until the sunset each day and getting up early to visit her friends at the YMCA each morning. She discovered a passion for running and fitness in her 50s, running marathons well into her 70s, consistently finishing in the top of her age group. She completed her fastest marathon in Chicago at the age of 61 with a time of 4:14:03, placing second in her age group.

Dawn’s life had two great loves, both of whom she spoke of adoringly to friends and strangers alike. The first: Robert (Bob) Gilmore Owens Sr, whom she married on November 21,1987 after a 13-year courtship, and who gifted her a fire engine red vintage 1980s Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible, which continued to be one of her most treasured, if somewhat unreliable, possessions for many decades. The second: singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who she saw perform over 50 times, including the famed beach concert during which his Live in Anguilla album was recorded in 2007. Dawn will be remembered for her biting humor, her steadfast nature, and her legendary watermelon margaritas. In the words of her hero, “Twenty-four hours, maybe sixty good years, it's really not that long a stay!”

Dawn was preceded in death by her parents, Myrtle Ahrene and John Bauer, her husband, Robert Gilmore Owens Sr, her daughter, Lori Reed Morris, and James William Buffett. She is survived by her grandchildren Anastasia Owens and Jackson Thomas Owens, her many students, and her devoted friends and fellow parrotheads.

A fins up celebration in Dawn’s memory will be held in Atlanta, GA at a time/date soon to be announced.