Donald Odell Owens, 77, Sebastian
Donald “Donnie or Don” Odell Owens, 77, died Dec. 14, 2017, at Sebastian River Medical Center in Sebastian. He was born March 22, 1940, in Fellsmere, and was a lifetime resident of Indian River County.
Donnie graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1959 and earned the Class president of the Student body and Mr. Vero Beach High School titles.
He retired from Rio Citrus, in Fort Pierce, as their citrus buyer and, prior to working with Rio Citrus, he was the owner of Fruit Growers Harvest located in Vero Beach.
He was a member of the Masonic Temple Lodge No. 232 in Sebastian, Shriner’s of Melbourne, Fla., and the National Wild Turkey Federation for 10 years.
Don was known as the only surviving original “Grouch,” and you could find him around Sebastian by name.
Deseret Ranch is where Don spent time hunting and fishing, sharing laughter with friends and enjoying the land.
Survivors include wife of 38 years, Dorothy “Dotty” Owens; sons, Durwood Owens, of Vero Beach, and Dr. Darrell Owens, of Seattle, Wash.; brother, Kenneth (Lidia) Owens, of Fort Myers, Fla.; granddaughter, Audrey Cherie Bowie; grandson, Kendall Owens; four great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Alicia Owens, of Micco, Fla.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Henry and Flonnie Owens; and brother, Vernon Owens.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 19, from 11 a.m. to Noon at Strunk Funeral Home, Sebastian.
A Celebration of his life will be held at Noon at Strunk Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. William Ruehman, Jr., Officiant. Interment will follow at Winter Beach Cemetery, Winter Beach.
Charles S “Rick” Rickey, 89, Vero Beach
Charles S “Rick” Rickey, 89, of Vero Beach, passed away on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, at VNA Hospice House, Vero Beach. He was born to the late Lester and Edna Swearingen Rickey on Feb. 14, 1928, in Adams County, Ohio.
Rick graduated in 1945 from Decatur High School and attended the University of Cincinnati.
In 1948, he enlisted in the Navy’s Aviation Cadet program at Pensacola, Florida, and received his commission in the U.S. Navy and designation as a Naval Aviator in May 1950.
He flew the P-2V Neptune aircraft with Patrol Squadron 22 (VP-22) based in Hawaii and deployed three times to Okinawa. Rick flew combat missions during the Korean Conflict and was awarded 2 Air Medals. He returned to Pensacola as a flight instructor following his assignment with VP-22. Other tours included Washington, D.C., and as the Air Intelligence Officer onboard USS Midway (CV-41).
He married the former Virginia Ann Ross on July 3, 1954, in her hometown of Ripley, Ohio. Living in several locations during his Navy career, Rick and Ginny settled in Aurora, Colo., following his retirement from the Navy in 1968 as a Lieutenant Commander.
He then began a career as a Civil Engineer and worked for the City of Thornton, Colorado, the Ken-Caryl Ranch development and for several consulting engineering firms in Denver.
In 1992 he and Ginny retired to Vero Beach buying a home in Garden Grove. They shared almost 61 years together with Ginny passing away in February 2015.
Rick was an American Legion member as well as a member of the Military Officers Association of America. He was also a charter member of the The Old Tailhookers, a group of former military aviators who meet monthly at C.J. Cannon’s Restaurant.
Besides his beloved wife and parents, he was preceded in death by younger sister, Janet Wardlow, and his twin sister, Catherine Cooper.
He is survived by daughter, Rebecca Rickey (Gary L. Embrey), of Vero Beach; sister, Ruth Ellen Fulton, of Cherry Fork, Ohio; brother-in-law, Morgan S. Ross, Jr. of Ripley, Ohio; and many cherished nieces, nephews, grand and great-grand nieces and nephews in Ohio and Florida.
A visitation and service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 30; time to be determined, at Lafferty Funeral Home in West Union, Ohio.
Internment will follow at Decatur Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to VNA Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
