Joseph Owens Obituary
After many years battling multiple myeloma Joseph M. Owens died peacefully at his home in North Wales, PA, on November 3, 2024 at the age of 83. A native of Kansas and Missouri he was a charismatic person with many talents and always displayed a wonderful sense of humor. In 1968 he and his wife Patricia moved to Philadelphia where Joe attended LaSalle University, majoring in chemistry.
Joe's life changed when he was accepted into graduate school at the University of Oregon to study Chemistry. He then traveled across from east coast to west in his VW bug with his wife Patricia and one cat, arriving in Eugene, Oregon at the University. Though he was accepted into the doctoral program, he discovered it all to be contingent on passing a rigorous set of chemistry tests, administered the first week of his arrival in Eugene. The night before the tests, he had just rented a small apartment with no furniture and ended up sleeping on the floor. So, Joe took these tests with little sleep and sore buns; and he returned to the apartment after the tests to say that he had done miserably, failed the tests, and would be heading back east. Come to find out later that he had aced the tests, scored in the highest percentile and it was chemistry, first, ever since then.
A few years later, after he had finished his PHD dissertation, he was ready to go into research work anywhere he could find a job. The year was 1973 and jobs were scarce due to the sluggish economy. Luckily for him Rohm and Haas, in Springhouse, PA was recruiting. A recruiter came to campus to find him and offer a research job which he immediately took.
At Rohm and Haas Joe excelled. He and his team developed multiple products in the floor polish industry becoming a leader in monomers for polish. Joe was heavily involved in the chemistry industry, especially setting polish standards for the industry.
There were a lot of rumors about Joe's numerous inventions at Rohm and Haas. Something of interest: the colored polishes, which occurred naturally due to certain reactions. Inside stories abound of the mad scientist variety—all products which never saw the light of day but which captured a good laugh.
Joseph was predeceased by his parents James and Josephine Owens, his brothers Dennis Owens and Flynn Owens, and his sister Joyce Gehringer. Joseph is survived by his brother Paul Owens, his sisters Regina Gloriosa, Margaret Patterson, and Christine Hurlbert and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Service will be held privately.
Memorial Contributions in memory of Joseph may be made to Philabundance, 3616 South Galloway Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148.
