Mary Helen Owen

On October 3rd, 2019, at a very young 60 years, Mary Owen suddenly passed away in her Parrish, Florida home.

Mary is survived by her loving husband; Michael Owen, her parents; Charles Bogovich & Beverly Carbon, her children; Christina Ryan & Brian Owen, and her siblings; Charles Bogovich, Debbie Hawk, Leslie Spurr & Sam Carbon.

Mary is preceded in death by her grandparents; Barbara & Joseph Bogovich, grandmother; Claira McMahon, uncle; Ed Bogovich, aunts; Sharon McMahon & Alice “Kooker” Etheridge.

Mary was born on March 19th, 1959 in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was born into a military family. Her father, Charles Bogovich, proudly served in the United States Air Force.

In 1977, at Clark AB in the Philippines, Mary met her knight in shining armor, Michael Owen. Simply meant to be, they married on February 14th, 1978 at Scott Air Force Base Illinois, while Mike was stationed at Offutt AFB Nebraska. On September 5th, 1980 their little girl, Christina, was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. On February 21st, 1982, they welcomed their baby boy, Brian, at Hahn Air Base, Germany. From then, their adventures in the Air Force lead their little family to Rome NY, Bossier City LA and Lompoc CA where Michael retired after 20 years of serving our country.

Oh but Mary wanted to do more! She decided to go back to school to become a massage therapist. After a few years of learning every modality she could, she became the best massage therapist in the county! She chose to focus her talents on military personnel. She opened A Natural Knead Massage Therapy on Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2000 and proudly served our troops for over 15 years. 57 of her 60 short years were spent dedicated to our troops in one way or another.

But there is so much more to Mary! She is mother to all. Her children’s friends grew up with her as a second mom; they were always welcome to the fridge, she was always ready with hugs and was there when you need her. She’s the best mom on the block. To her, she has many, many children. And they all call her mom. She had a big heart and a gentle touch, a real Angel on Earth. She was so easy to go to with just about any question or concern. She always understood, even when you were afraid she wouldn’t. She always knew how to help. She never failed. She had so many interests and experiences, it seemed she knew everything. We were always in awe of her. She touched everyone she met and changed them for the better. She was the best wife/mom/daughter/sister/friend anyone could have ever dreamed.

In her final years, Mary was a volunteer cuddler in the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Florida. She specialized in calming babies born with drug addiction. She poured her heart and soul into helping those babies heal. It was her mission to give them the best chance at a good life.

So, on lieu of flowers or gifts, we are asking you to direct your love and condolences by donating to the Manatee Memorial Hospital NICU ward. You can do so by following this link; paypal.me/maryowennicubabies 100% of donations received will go directly to Mary’s NICU babies.