Michael Jeremy Owens

Michael J. Owens, born on July 24, 1943 in Sacramento, California, passed away on March 9, 2025, at the age of 81, surrounded by his loving family. His unexpected passing was the result of complications that arose during an extended hospital stay.

A Celebration of Life was held with close family and friends in San Diego, California in April 2025. His ashes will be spread along the California coast.

Mike was raised in Sacramento, California. He enjoyed playing kick the can, listening to radio shows (“pluck your magic twanger, froggy…) and taking cross-country trips with his parents as a child. A lifelong learner, he had a great appreciation for the value of education. He graduated with honors from California State University Sacramento, with a BA in Spanish and a minor in French. He also attended, at various times, USF, San Francisco State, Citrus and Mesa Community colleges and UCSD extension programs.

It was important to Mike that his daughters received college educations so they could be financially independent, and they are thankful that he was successful in making that happen.

As a young adult, Mike traveled to Spain, where he enjoyed his first of many stays in that country and expanded his knowledge of the Spanish language, bullfights, late nights and the joy of vino.

He married Josefa Catalan of Woodland, California, in 1964. During the next few years, they had two daughters, Michelle and Stephanie. After living in Castro Valley and Glendora, California, the family was forever grateful for the move to San Diego in 1972, where they all still reside today. Although the marriage eventually ended, Mike and Jo remained friends, and she was at his bedside when he passed.

Mike began working at Washington Inventory Service as a teen, taking inventories in the middle of the night; in 1966 he was hired as a Branch Manager and eventually worked his way up to executive management, where he served as Vice President of Operations at the San Diego Headquarters location for many years. It was perhaps here that the long-lived Nose and Glasses tradition was born. Huffy Corporation bought out the company in 1991 and after a brief hiatus, Mike was employed by Muscolino & Associates, where he worked as an executive for several more years until his early retirement.

To the chagrin of his children, Mike was a great fan of bullfighting and saw many, many bullfights in locations such as Spain, Tijuana and Juarez. He was an avid reader, loved to play the ponies and was a competitive bowler, boasting many a 250+ game during his tenure with his bowling league. While he was a listener of diverse genres of music, he’s remembered most as a great fan of Bob Dylan, often saturating his family with 10+ hours of his ballads on road trips between San Diego and Sacramento. Mike was extremely well versed in politics and would have had a field day discussing and debating events that have transpired since his passing.

Mike was a young father who gave his daughters piggy back rides to bed each night, took his kids to many a ”7-Up Junior Padre” game at the Murph, was a soccer coach, stick horse “arteest” and pun master; he attended a Grateful Dead show with Michelle and a Men’s World Cup game with Stephanie. He was a husband that provided financial stability to the whole family; a grandfather (“GP Mike”) that required only a $5.00 charge for whining, enjoyed seeing movies with his grandkids, and was present at many graduations, countless theatre performances and literally hundreds of soccer, basketball, little league, softball, ice and field hockey games. He was known by the Muggles in the family as a great Wizard.

Memorable Mike quotes include:

• “That’s MY grandchild!”

• “Would I kid YOU?”

• “Ain’t my problem”

• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

• “Stop before you start” (through gritted teeth)

• “Gotcha!”

• “Pull my finger”

• And his signature “Happy!”

Those who knew him were aware of his love of conversation and knowledge of all things. He possessed a wealth of information and loved sharing his insights and opinions. He was very friendly, taking genuine interest in everyone he met, whether friends, family or service providers. His unique perspectives, engaging smile and heartfelt laughter are a great loss to all and will be greatly missed.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Dale Grant Owens and Mary Rose; and is survived by his brother Grant (Patrick) Owens, daughters Michelle Whelehan and Stephanie Jones, grandchildren Dale Jones, Becca Jones, Sadie Whelehan and Luke Jones, nephews Mark Owens, Todd Owens and Evan Owens and their families, and extended family members Roger and Jo Matthews, Brian Whelehan, Tod Jones, Nikki Maas and Santiago Salazar.

Jo Matthews, both of Mike’s daughters and all of his grandchildren were with him, listening to Bob Dylan, when he passed. Michael, Dad, GP Mike…you are already greatly missed and will never be forgotten.