Bill Owens – 50 Years Of Helping Families

Fifty years is a long time in any career, but Funeral Director Bill Owens has been doing his job for half a century.

He started on Jan. 15, 1974, and, although he tried to retire on Dec. 31, 2021, he continues to direct funerals for families who have requested his services, and has no plans to stop.

Mr. Owens was born in Chattanooga, but raised in the Fairview Community of North Georgia. He graduated from Rossville High School in 1974.

“Our family shopped a lot in Rossville and ate a lot of chili at Roy’s Grill,” he said.

He said he didn’t care about working in a funeral home, but wanted to help an underage friend get a job in funeral services.

“I went to see Frank Sawyer at Turner Funeral Home on Dodds Avenue, and, after an hour interview, he hired me," he said. "Mr. Sawyer told me I needed two suits, so I borrowed my brother’s charge card and bought them at the Eastgate Lovemans.

"Mr. Sawyer put me up in a small apartment behind the funeral home. I started answering the phone, washing cars, going with the directors on ambulance calls, picking up flowers; I did it all.”

When Mr. Owens' friend turned 18, he was able to help him hire on with Turner.

“I really wanted to be a DJ, and hung around a lot at WFLI with Jimmy Byrd," he said. "I wasn’t planning on a funeral home career, but the longer I did it, the more I enjoyed the job.”

Mr. Owens eventually went to work for Lane Funeral Home, South Crest Chapel, and started with Chattanooga Funeral Home in 1991, where he is currently employed.

He did his apprenticeship in Chattanooga and became a fully licensed funeral director in 1983. He was given a full scholarship to the National Foundation of Funeral Services in Chicago.

“During the 50 years, I’ve helped bury thousands of friends, classmates, coaches, ministers, business people and a lot of individuals I didn’t even know,” Mr. Owens said. “I’ve covered what would be considered news stories; wreck and murder victims and tried to help those families just as much as the loved ones whose person may have died from natural causes; sometimes it can be very hard.”

Some of the funerals he helped conduct were baseball legend Cal Ermer, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Donald K. Bond, Dr. Lee Roberson, Dr. J.R. Faulkner and Luther Masingill, just to name a few. One of the most difficult services for Mr. Owens was Rev. John Andrus, who pastored First Nazarene Church for over 30 years.

“Not only had Bro. Andrus been my pastor, he was one of my best friends, as we worked a lot of funerals together. I miss Bro. John so much,” said Mr. Owens.

“The greatest honor is when a family asks for me. I’ve seen so many changes in the funeral industry, but one thing that hasn’t changed is taking care of our families during their darkest moments; trust means so much,” he said.

The veteran funeral director said he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ when he was young, and God has looked out for him his entire life.

He was hospitalized in 2010 with a serious illness and nearly died. “God wasn’t finished with me," he said. "I believe I’m alive today because of all the prayers of family, coworkers, area ministers and friends. I especially remember Hamilton County Sheriff John Cupp coming to my room several times and having prayer with me.”

Mr. Owens said he was trained by the best funeral directors in the industry - Gene Turner, Ross Lane, Ted Coulter, Bill Boleman and Gene and Stephen Pike.

His career has been filled with many interesting experiences. He recalls the time singer Ricky Skaggs came to Chattanooga to sing for a music producer who had passed and the Valley View Chapel was handling the arrangements.

Mr. Owens said the next best thing that happened in his life, after accepting Christ, was meeting and marrying his wife, Susie, from Harrison.

“I was working her grandmother’s service when someone introduced us, and the next thing I knew we were engaged and eventually married, now for over 47 years. We have two children and three grandchildren,” he said.

Chattanooga Funeral Home President Gene Pike said, “Bill Owens is one of the top funeral directors in the United States; his experience is worth so much to this community and our company. We congratulate Bill on reaching a milestone of 50 years.”

Mr. Owens' hobby is collecting records. He has over 2,200 albums by hundreds of artists, including the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and the Beach Boys. He also has LP’s by many country and Southern Gospel artists. He said he started as a teenager, saving his money and buying the records from various outlets, including Jack’s Record Shop in downtown Chattanooga.

“I still get excited when I find a rare LP that I’ve been hunting a long time,” he said. “I’ve never forgotten the best advice of my career that Gene Turner gave me, 'Sonny Boy, don’t ever lie to a family. if you mess up, apologize, admit your mistake and make it right.'

“Its been a great career. I never thought it would last 50 years. God gave me the job I didn’t want and a career I wasn't looking for. God knows best and has always watched over me.

“I am blessed. God has blessed my life more than I can ever thank Him for. If only for each breath that I take, I have been blessed. Everything that I have, everything that I've been and everything that I'm going to be, is because of Him."