John Edward Owen passed away unexpectedly in Rennes, France on March 3, 2026. He was born on April 14, 1951, in Huntington, Long Island to the late Helen Elizabeth Barker and Berwyn Lee Owen. John is remembered as a good and honest man, and a lover of animals great and small.

Throughout his life, John was guided by an adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit. In his younger years, he built a left-handed boat for his work as a clammer, opened a clothing store, and more. His later careers were just as wide-ranging. Self-taught C++ in the 1990s, John rose from freelance programmer to vice president of the game development company Cyber Warrior. He also worked as an electrician for his own company, Advanced Tech Electric.

John was a man of many talents and interests. He studied commercial art at SVA in NYC and pursued freelance work in the industry. His professional work included photography, film, television, animation and Forex special effects for corporations and underground cartoons. Never one to stop learning, John returned to school and earned an associate's degree in culinary arts, and he won several food competitions. He was also the author of an action-romance novel titled The Code Game, reflecting his imagination and love of storytelling.

His pastimes ranged from woodworking and homebrewing to close-up magic. He earned a black belt in tae kwon do. Most of all, he loved the challenge of recreating a great meal from scratch at home.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Cynthia Hawkins-Owen, Ph.D.; his four children, Sean E. Owen and his wife Anna Solomonik, Richard L. Owen and his partner Jenny Marchand, Ianna H. Owen, and Zachary H. Owen; and his three grandchildren, Edward S. Owen, Anthony S. Owen, and Chance O. Marchand. He is also survived by his brother, Stephen J. Owen, D.O., and his wife Laura Owen, as well as his beloved Boston Terrier, Taz.

Calling hours will be held from 2pm to 4pm on March 16th at Sweet's Funeral Home, 4365 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, New York 12538. A service will take place at the funeral home at 3pm. Cremation will follow.

To send an online condolence or for directions please visit sweetsfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in John's name to the ACLU at tinyurl.com/ACLU4John