Gary Owen

Gary L. Owen of Hoover, Alabama, a beloved father, grandfather, and friend passed away peacefully in his home with family on June 20, 2024, at the age of 78. He will be deeply missed by his son, Jason Owen (Katie), his grandsons Carson Owen and Ethan Owen, and his granddaughter Allie Owen. He is survived by his brother Billy Owen, his nephews Bill Owen (Sara) and Scott Owen (Stacia), and his niece Terese Dabbs (Steve). He was preceded in death by his parents Lamar Owen and Lottye Owen, and his brother Jerry Owen.

A native of Mississippi, he earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University, and after moving to the Birmingham area went on to establish his own consulting engineering firm, Gary L. Owen and Associates, Inc., where he would serve as owner and President for almost 40 years. Eventually receiving professional licensure in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, he was involved in design, construction, and operation of facilities in the water, wastewater, and natural gas industries, earning much recognition from both municipal utility and private organizations.

Gary will be remembered for his kindness and generosity, his humor, his mentorship to many, and his skillful acumen. He was a man of integrity who believed in hard work and sacrifice, and was respected for his humble style of hands-on professionalism. He never met a stranger, and was as comfortable conducting a meeting in front of a packed room as he was trading rural farming stories or assisting a client one-on-one with a technical concern.

Despite being admired for outstanding contributions to his professional field, in his personal life he rarely preferred to be the center of attention, and was most happy seeing happiness in others.

A private celebration of life will be held on a date decided upon by family, where they would be honored to share your memories and stories of Gary, which may be added in the Guestbook below.

"The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Timothy 4:6-7