Reyburne Owen

Reyburne F. "Bud" Owen, 86, of Cottonwood, passed on peacefully in his sleep on Dec. 13, 2008. Bud was born July 27, 1922, to Fletch and Lizzie Owen. His life was a journey that left a trail of hope and happiness for all who crossed his path. He will be remembered for his sweet smile and quiet confidence. A 1940 graduate of Trinidad High School, Bud lettered in football and basketball. Soon after graduating, he became a machinist apprentice, following in the footsteps of his father who worked for the AT\u0026SF Railroad. At the start of WWII, Bud joined the military and was stationed in North Africa and later, Italy. He devoted many of his younger years to serving our country in the United States Air Force as a Staff Sergeant. In 1945, he met the love of his life, Betty Lou Mills, thanks to Betty\u0027s best friend, Eloise, introducing them to each other. Betty and Bud\u0027s first date was to a USO dance in El Paso, Texas. After dating for approximately four weeks, they wed on Aug. 25, 1945. They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary this year with as much love for each other as the day they met. His career continued with the Santa Fe railroad until he was laid off. He went to work for the Natural Gas Company in El Paso, Texas, until he was called back into service for the Korean Conflict. After that, Bud moved to Phoenix, Arizona to work for Air Research, where he worked until he retired in 1979. He spent his retirement years in Camp Verde and most recently, Cottonwood. Bud loved sports, particularly bowling, pool, football and basketball. In fact, he even played with the Harlem Globetrotters at one point in his life. He also had a passion for hunting, camping, and fishing. He is survived by his wife, Betty Owen, his brother, \u0027Doc\u0027 Owen, his sisters, Barbara and Joy, his daughter, Donna Jane Mann, his three sons, James Owen, Allen Owen, and Thomas Owen, his 11 grandchildren, Rich, Donald, Timothy, Todd, Troy, Amy, Tiffany, Melissa, Matthew, Justin, and Michael, and 16 great-grandchildren. Please join us as we celebrate his love, his life, and his continuing journey at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 at the American Legion at 480 S. Calvary Way, Cottonwood, AZ 86326.