From Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory
Boyd Arrington, 79, Vero Beach
September 21, 1942 – December 30, 2021
Boyd Arrington, 79, of Vero Beach passed away on December 30, 2021, at the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital.
Boyd was born September 21, 1942, in Clearwater, Florida and was a resident of Indian River County. He retired as Maintenance Supervisor with The Packers of Indian River, Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce.
Boyd was a volunteer with the Humane Society of Vero Beach and For the Love of Paws also of Indian River County. Boyd was an avid softball player.
He is survived by his wife, Alice of Vero Beach, daughter, Lori Smith of Kentucky, son, Greg Arrington, sister Joyce Sawyer of Virginia Beach, VA; sister in law, Terry Turner (Scott), brother and law, Jim Joines (Kim), nephew, Tucker Joines, niece, Hillary Hall (Brett).
He was predeceased by his parents, Frances and Howard Arrington.
A private service will be held.
Donations may be made to; For the Love of Paws, 12198 County Road 512, Fellsmere, FL 32948
Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.
From Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory
Durwood Vern Owens, 59, Okeechobee and Vero Beach
November 27, 1962 – December 29, 2021
Durwood Vern Owens, 59, of Okeechobee and Vero Beach, FL passed away after an extended on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at his home in Okeechobee.Durwood was born in Vero Beach and was a lifelong resident of the Okeechobee and Indian River Counties area.He was a graduate of Indian River Community College and had proudly served in the US Army prior to being honorably discharged.
Durwood had a great love for the outdoors, especially as his role as a Rancher and also as a Shrimper. He enjoyed them both so much that it was often thought he would saddle up, ride his horse to the dock where he would tie it up before jumping into his shrimp boat and racing out over the water. It was from his vast knowledge of shrimping that he became known as “The Shrimp Man.”
Survivors include wife Kelly Owens, daughter Audrey Cherie Owens Bowie (Brandon), mother Jacqueline Taylor, brother Darrell Owens grandchildren Michael, Melia, Chance, Ryder, and Maddox, stepson Jason Hitchcock (Tereasa), and their children Tori, Christopher, and Jaylyn, stepdaughter Chelsea Langford and her children Chanel, Charbriel, and Chardonnel, and a stepson Devin Langford.
He was preceded in death by his son LeeVon Ray Owens, father Donald Owens, stepmother Dorothy Owens, and his stepfather Dr. Paul Taylor.
The family will receive friends 2 – 4 PM, Monday, January 3, 2022 at the Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach.
A funeral service celebrating his life will follow at 4 PM at the funeral home starting with military honors provided by the Sebastian Area Honor Guard.
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From Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory
Karen A. Somes, 87, Vero Beach
September 11, 1934 – December 29, 2021
Karen A. Somes, 87, of Vero Beach, Florida passed away Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at her home. She was born September 11, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan to the late Theodore S. and Rachel Mikkola Taipalus.
She was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Vero Beach. Karen enjoyed sewing, golf and bowling.
Karen is survived by her husband Daniel and children Leah, Kenneth, Jennifer, Michele, Susan Amber and Steven. Survivors include grandchildren Michelle, Jaclyn, Allison, Daniel, Rachel, Hannah, Leonard, Joshua, Caleb, Brian, Michael and Karen Mary, as well as great grandchildren Charlotte, Hayden, Alexander and Paul.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her brother Ted, sister Shirley and granddaughter Katherine.
The family will receive friends 2-5 PM, Thursday, January 6, 2021 at the Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach. A funeral service will begin at 10 AM, Friday, January 7, 2022 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Vero Beach. Interment will follow at Crestlawn Cemetery in Vero Beach with a reception celebrating her life at 12:30 PM at the Grand Harbor Beach Club.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the VNA/Hospice Foundation at vnatc.org or habitat.org.
Jim grew up in Merrimac, MA and graduated from Pentucket Regional High School in 1968. He was drafted and enlisted in the Army in 1970. He was stationed in Asmara, Ethiopia before enrolling in journalism and public relations school at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. Following a brief stint at Fort Devens, MA, he was assigned to Tori Station in Sobi, Okinawa. During that time, he was editor of the base newspaper and worked on a community relations program.
After six years in the Army, Jim retuned to Merrimac and worked at the Haverhill Gazette as a reporter and photographer for nine years. In 1985, he joined the (Lawrence) Eagle Tribune until his retirement in 2012. One of his most memorable assignments was covering the Malden Mills Fire. His photo of this fire was shown on many of the local and national news stations. He was well respected by his colleagues at the Tribune, as well as members of the local law enforcement community.
Jim was very proud of his sons Shawn, retired Deputy Chief of Police in Salem, NH and Joel, who was a helicopter crew chief in the USMC.
After his retirement, he and his wife, Cathy, became “snowbirds”. He loved the sunshine and was thrilled to have a chance to play his drums, a lifelong passion. He enjoyed playing in a few bands and jamming with other musicians. He also enjoyed traveling with Cathy and her sister and brother-in-law, Marie and Ron King. Their final trip to Australia and New Zealand was especially memorable.
Back in MA, Jim loved feeding the birds. He always looked forward to seeing the Baltimore orioles return each June. He enjoyed cooking on the grill and getting together with his northern friends. He will be greatly missed.
Jim was predeceased by his parents, Benjamin Patten and Dorothy (Schiavoni) Patten.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Catherine (Chaples) Patten, sons Shawn of Bradenton, FL and Joel and his wife, Jena DiMare of Amherst, NH, and grandsons TJ, Travis, Tyler and Quinn, Gavin and Tristan Patten. He leaves behind his sister Lisa Orso and her husband, Nick, nieces Elizabeth and Emily. He also leaves behind his niece Caitlin and nephew Travis, children of Marie and Ron King. He is also survived by his beloved canine companion, Chloe.
The family wishes to express since thanks to the hospice caregivers from St. Francis Reflections., Burial will be private. Memorial contributions in Jim’s name can be made to: St. Francis Reflections Foundation, 1250 B-Grumman Place, Titusville, FL 32780.
Arrangements are entrusted to Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1623 North Central, Avenue, Sebastian, FL 32958.
