By Tom Oncken
As you are probably aware, I have always said that my least favorite reporting job for the Texas Chapter is when I must notify our chapter members of the loss of a fellow member. Long time member, John Slator of New Ulm, has recently informed me of the passing of Owen R. Meredith on January 20, 2021. John has always been a close friend of Owen’s, and John notified me that Owen’s death was a result of the COVID-19 virus with underlying conditions. In his discussions with some of Owen’s family members, John was also informed that Owen has been cremated and his ashes have been spread over the family property near Fredericksburg, Texas.
Many of our newer members probably will not know Owen since his health became a critical issue many years ago, and as a result, he was placed into a nursing care facility in Kerrville, Texas. Needless to say, he was not able to attend any further meets and his membership lapsed accordingly.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Owen began his lifelong love for boats, motors, and water sports at an early age. Apparently he got his first outboard motor at the age of eight and ran it on a boat he named “Super Duck” as he explored the many inlets and coves of Cow Bayou near Orange, Texas. As he got older, his boats and motors got bigger and faster. He also became enamored with water skiing and did quite a bit of scuba diving in the bayou and the gulf. At one time, he served as a hard-hat diver checking the pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico.
After graduating from Lamar University, Owen successfully passed the CPA exam. He later became employed by the Internal Revenue Service. He skillfully kept this fact under his hat to avoid negative comments; however, we all know that antique outboard collectors come from all walks of life and it only matters that each of us is addicted to the old motors, and not where we work.
Owen played a large role in our chapter in the late 1990’s into the 21st century. He assumed the role of publisher of the Texas Chapter News in January 1998 after I quit my first run at the job. I believe he retained that position until January 2001 when he assumed an officer’s position as Secretary/Treasurer through September 2005. He then became Treasurer from January 2006 through December 2007. He again took the Secretary/Treasurer job from January 2008 through June 2010. Owen was a competent leader for our group in those days and he was greatly missed when he left.
I offer our thanks to Owen’s wife, Jo, who assisted us with this article, and also offer our sincere condolences to her family for their loss.