Obituary - Cpl. Alexander Ben Owens

Cpl. Alexander Ben Owens, 20, died Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007, while serving his country as a U.S. Marine at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Alexander was the son of Ben H. and Leslee A. Owens of Grand Valley, both of whom were military veterans. He enlisted at the Warren, Pa., recruiting station. Alex’s grandfather, the Rev. John P. Benson, a United Methodist minister, was born in Warren, Pa., and also was a military veteran, having been wounded in World War II during his service in the Army. Alex was preceded in death by his grandmother, Thelma E. Miller-Jones Benson of Rocky Grove.

A preliminary autopsy indicated Alex died of natural causes although more tests are being done to pinpoint the exact cause.

Alex was unresponsive when a roommate tried to rouse him Christmas morning so they wouldn’t be late for celebrations with Alex’s brother’s family in San Diego. An ambulance arrived within minutes and he was given CPR. He died at the hospital after resuscitation attempts failed.

Born Feb. 27, 1987, in Cherry Point, N.C., Alex was inquisitive and resourceful throughout his life, constantly striving to understand both mechanical and social structures.

“I’ve never seen such intelligence in anyone,” said his mother, Leslee. “He was always thinking, always trying to figure things out.”

Even as a baby, she said Alex liked to experiment, once putting a key into an electrical socket. The electricity went in a loop around the ring and the power surge tripped the circuit breaker, leaving Alex unscathed. He never stopped experimenting, she said.

Alex was fascinated by the science behind pharmacology and was taking classes online to prepare himself for a future degree in medicine, hoping to become a doctor upon leaving the Marines. His good service record and his General Technical test score of 145 put him in the top running for a military-sponsored scholarship to Stanford University.

“Alex was a good, hard working mechanic and one of the most intelligent Marines I have ever known,” said Commanding Officer Raymond H. Jones, Jr. of A Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion. “My last memory of Alex was on Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, when we had a battalion run and Alex was calling cadence for our company. In normal conversation Alex was very soft spoken, but in this instance he was boisterous, loud and motivating — which was an inspiration for all of the Marines running alongside of him.”

Alex served in the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion under the 1st Marine Division with merit. He was honored at the Marine Corps Ball in 2005 as the youngest Marine at 17 years old. Among Alex’s honors, he earned the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

“He was proud to be a Marine even when things got tough,” said his father, Ben. “He would have been proud to die while in service of his country.”

Alex will be remembered by his friends and family for being very generous and loving. He spent until 2 a.m. Christmas morning shopping for toys for his nephews and testing them in the aisles until Wal-Mart employees asked him to check out so they could close. He and his roommate then disassembled a bicycle Alex had bought so he could teach his 3-year-old nephew, Vincent, how to use tools to put the bike back together. Alex also invited his roommate to join him for Christmas so his roommate wouldn’t be alone for the holiday and he set both men’s alarms so they wouldn’t sleep in.

“Alexander’s untimely passing is a tremendous loss to everyone in the 1st Marine Division family,” said Major General T.D. Waldhauser, the Commanding General of 1st Marine Division. “Alexander and his noble character and service will not be forgotten.”

Among his other interests, Alex felt a deep connection with animals, keeping a dog and a miniature donkey for pets. He loved horseback riding and fancied an anthropomorphic cougar as his alter ego. He also collected shot glasses and sound equipment for mixing music.

Alex is survived by his parents, Ben and Leslee of Grand Valley; three sisters, Jamie D. Owens of New York City, Brandy Q. Owens of Grand Valley and Samantha D. Owens of Eden Prairie, Minn.; a brother, Daniel M.A. Owens and sister-in-law, Yvonne Bazan of San Diego, Calif.; a grandmother, Louise L. Owens of Mason City, Iowa; a grandfather, Rev. Benson of Austintown, Ohio; four nephews, Vincent, Alek, Nathan and Kenji Owens; eight aunts; eight uncles; and 17 cousins.

Visitation will be held from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the Huff Chapel, 312 W. Park St., Franklin.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the funeral home with Alex’s grandfather, the Rev. John P. Benson, presiding, and Pastor Steve Tiffany of the Enterprise United Methodist Church conducting the services.

Interment with military honors will follow in the Franklin Cemetery, 203 Rocky Grove Ave., Franklin.

Donations may be sent to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation (MC-LEF), P.O. Box 37, Mountain Lakes, N.J., 07046.

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I only found out today, i had been looking for him online as he called me Christmas eve. We spoke and he was going to call me back on Christmas day, but he never called, i tried to call him but he had called me from a calling card. I've been sending emails but..........

I can't really think straight right now, and i have had to leave work early as i read that article and i broke down at work..........

I don't know how to close on this, so i am just gonna say i love you hun and i will always remember you, x RIP