Dava Owen

Dava Ann Jones Owen, 75, of White Lake was called home by her Lord on March 24, 2014 after complications due to Alzheimer's disease and a fractured hip.

Dava Ann was born in Kentucky in 1938. She was blessed to travel and live with her family in Arizona, Chicago and Massachusetts. During her time living in Chicago, Dava Ann became a lifelong fan of the Cubs or as she called them "The Cubbies".

It was while living in Lexington, Massachusetts she met and fell in love with Bob Owen. They were married in 1957, and she soon found herself living in Japan as a young Air Force wife. Arriving back in the States with her husband and young toddlers; Dava Ann and her family settled in the suburbs of Washington, DC. She continued in her role as homemaker and mother while her husband did two overseas tours of duty to Vietnam and the Philippines. In the ensuing years, Dava Ann continued to raise her family and be actively involved in a variety of ministries in her local church.

In 1989 Dava Ann discovered a new calling in life as a Pastor's wife as her husband accepted the call to pastor at Peter's Creek Baptist Church in Roseboro, NC. She was steadfast in this role until Bob's death in 2000. She triumphed over the challenges of widowhood and continued with her avid love of reading, gardening, bird watching, and sewing. She enjoyed the strength and companionship of her Sunday school class at Elizabethtown Baptist Church.

Dava Ann's greatest attributes were her wonderful kindness, her common sense and independent spirit, her strength of character, and her unwavering faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She was a supportive mother and encouraged her children to be independent and venture down any path they chose to walk in life. Her children and grandchildren were a source of great pride and joy and she delighted in writing to them.

Dava Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Robert "Bob" S. Owen; her parents, Leah Bernice Jones Cannell and Thomas Jones. She is survived by her sons, Cliff Owen of Virginia and Jeff Owen of White Lake, NC; her daughter Cindy Wise and husband Greg of Kill Devil Hills, NC; one brother, Doyle Cannell and Gracie of Florida, two sisters, Kathy Arlotta and husband Guy of Florida and Linda Dunaway and husband Jasper of Ohio; four grandchildren: Alexandra Kalber and husband Dan, Dakota Owen, Zachary Owen, and Emma Owen and two great grandchildren: Josie Kalber and Lucy Kalber;
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date with her internment at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake, NC. Memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer's Association( http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Events/TributesAlzheimersChampions;jsessionid=C6185A447FD500EAFB36FBCC1958B016.app207a?pg=fund&fr_id=1060&pxfid=204859 ) or Samaritan's Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000. 1-800-528-1980, http://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/donate-online/