March 17, 1970 – June 19, 2023
John Arthur Owen Jr, 53, took his last breath peacefully in the arms of his wife, Kimberly L. Cabeceiras, on June 19, 2023, in the comfort of his camper, on a sunny, warm day, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
John was born on March 17th, 1970, to John Arthur Owen and Mary Bickert in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Mukwonago High School. At the age of 14, he took on an apprenticeship with his lifelong friend, Johnny K, who took John under his wing and taught him the art of painting and carpentry, and most importantly, remained a good friend and mentor, along with Elisa Morales, who was a great friend and mentor whom he considered family. He has fond childhood memories of her and her family, especially carrying Poppy around, and was honored to have him die peacefully in his arms.
John moved to Colorado in early 1993 and started his own business, Owen & Sons, which he successfully ran until his final days. He was highly appreciated by his clients, co-workers, and The Roaring Fork Community for his 30+ years of hard work, dedication, and incomparable ability to fix anything. He was a problem solver, something his lifelong clients Skip & Candy and Rick & Jill all agree on. He was called upon frequently and did not hesitate as it brought him great satisfaction to fix anything and everything he could, from automobiles to dishwashers. He was always there to lend a hand when called upon.
John had many passions, including but not limited to snowmobiling, ice-fishing, deep-sea fishing, skiing, riding his Harley Davidson, storytelling, and going to the beach. hiking, four-wheeling, gardening, camping, kayaking, race cars, paddle boarding, art, road trips, and traveling. He loved nature and being in the great outdoors. He was also an acclaimed chef in his home, and his infamous Barbeques, cocktails, dance parties, and Bonfires will be fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him. John could recite Shakespeare, Hamlet and many Irish limericks, which brought great joy to all of our gatherings. That unconditional love he shared and gave also extended to animals, and he will join his beloved pup, Yukon, in Heaven.
John, most recently, downsized his family into a camper so that he could dedicate his life to humanitarianism by giving his time and the same helpful energy he gave to his community to many causes worldwide. He helped free refugees from a camp in Lebanon, brought supplies to the US-Mexico border, helped raise money for the people of Ukraine, raised money and collected essential items for struggling folks in The Middle East, and donated his personal money and time to help a family in Afghanistan. He always wanted to help. Anyone he came across who needed help, including every homeless person that asked for spare change, he gave. He would have given all of his money, all of his food, and every shirt he owned off his back if it meant he could help.
This helpful nature, combined with a broad and expansive spiritual curiosity, made him special. He participated in Lakota rituals and initiations and enjoyed learning about Buddhism, Shamanism, and Toltecs. This spiritual interest led him to four long trips to Egypt with his family, where he developed strong, loving, and unconditional friendships across the globe. Before John took his final breaths, he recited the “Shahadah” to declare his faith as a Muslim.
John will be greatly missed and survived lovingly by his wife, Kimberly L. Cabeceiras; his four sons, John, III, Thomas, Preston & Cale Owen; his daughter, Elle Lianna Tripp, and their two dogs, Shambala and Zephyr.
He is also survived by his brothers, J.T. Owen & Aaron Bickert. Cousins Clayton, Stephanie, and Nonni, Uncle Sonny, Aunt Lynn, and his nieces Radine, Amber, Michaela, Anna, Morgan, and Gabriella. nephews Joey, Jordan, Devon, Nathan and Quinn, Zack, Daniel, Alex, and Jacob; his mother-in-law Linda Cabeceiras; his sister-in-law Shannon Wagner; brothers-in-law, Jashua Cabeceiras, Jeremie Cabeceiras, and Danny Wagner, his mother Mary Bickert and stepfather, Richard Bickert and MANY OTHER family members.
In addition, his friends whom he considered family, Aaron Nelson, Elisa and Vicky Morales, Johnny K, Tom and Suzanna, Anna Berinstein, Scott Sussman, Chrissy Samuelsom, Andrea Palm Porter, Jeff Anderson, Amr Aly, Ahd, Michael, Mahmoud, Mohamed, Ahmed, Mustafa and so MANY OTHERS in Colorado, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, California, and Egypt. He also leaves his most recent loved ones in Egypt. His friends there quickly became family in Egypt as John was a magnet with his love, acceptance, and kindness.
John is preceded by his sister Marie, who passed suddenly in Dec. 2022, his father, John Arthur Owen Sr., and both his maternal and paternal grandparents.
There will be a celebration of John’s life on March 17, 2024 (John’s Birthday/St. Patrick’s Day) at a venue yet to be determined, but most likely one of his favorite restaurants in The Roaring Fork Valley. Specific details will be published in February of 2024. Any questions regarding the celebration of life can be directed to John’s wife, Kimberly, at 970-319-2721.
“WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER, THE WORLD WILL KNOW PEACE”
JIMI HENDRIX