John D. “Johnny” Owens, 81, of Mauriceville, Texas, was born October 12, 1944, in Orange, Texas, to Forest L. and Ouida Owens and passed away peacefully July 31,2026, in Huntington, Texas surrounded by family.
Johnny grew up in Little Cypress, where he excelled at football and perfected creative ways to avoid schoolwork. He met Andrea in 1961, they married in 1963 (good call, Andrea), and together they raised two children, Randy and Terri – both of whom learned early that Dad’s teasing was proof of love and affection. Johnny was a member of First Baptist Church in Mauriceville and was a faithful Christian man, ensuring his family knew the love of Jesus. Johnny loved his wife very much and was devoted to her – so devoted, in fact, that he kept her laughing, survived her lengthy honey-do and shopping lists, and usually let her have the last piece of pie. When leaving for work, he would often leave her love poems on the bar written on a scrap piece of paper.
Johnny had a lifelong career as a construction worker, millwright, welder and fabricator. He spent his early career traveling across the United States as a welding x-ray technician, often taking his family with him. He also worked at several local plants before settling into the maintenance department at lnland-Orange, where he retired after faithfully keeping things running and occasionally jury-rigging them with a grin. johnny was known as a Jack-of-all-trades as he could turn his hand to just about any task.
He and Andrea loved spending time with family and friends at Cow Creek, the river and the lake. Johnny taught anyone who’d listen how to fish, swim, and ski – with a disaster or two included. They especially cherished time spent traveling with lifelong friends John and Linda Premeaux. They traveled together to numerous states across the U.S. where the group would laugh, shop, explore, and get into all kinds of delightful mischief – often blamed on Johnny.
Though he loved fishing Johnny’s truest loves were his grandchildren, Hannah and Mason. He doted on them, taught them everything he knew, and made sure they had more fun than anyone else. Johnny also made sure they knew how much he loved them. He often said if he had known how fun grandchildren were, he would have had them first. Later in life Johnny learned to Cajun dance and he and Andrea traveled to many Cajun festivals. He often bragged that the older ladies waited in line to dance with him. Known as the life of the party, the family jokester, and on CB radio as “the agitator,” he delighted in fish fries, family vacations, snow skiing, dancing, and, later in life, baking-earning the nickname “The Pie Man.”
Generous to a fault, Johnny would give you the shirt off his back and throw in some socks and pants. He always put people before possessions and passed this legacy onto his family.
Johnny is survived by his devoted wife, Andrea Owens; loving daughter and son-in-law Terri and Cevin Loftin; granddaughter Hannah and husband Dustin Crawford; grandson Mason Malone and wife Alex Malone; and two great-grandsons, Cove and Ember. He was preceded in death by his mother, Ouida Owens; son Randy Owens; brother Gary Owens; and sister Ann Cunningham.
A memorial will be held August 7,2026,at First Baptist Church in Mauriceville, Texas. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m., with the service to follow. ln lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alzheimers Association.
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