I knew Owen when I was a premie. He and his wife (and I think they had two kids then, a boy and a girl), lived in Milwaukee and I think Owen was the coordinator there. I believe he and his wife both were from Jamaica. Very nice people. I think his wife's name was "JT" or "JD" or something like that. She also was a very sweet person. They were very poor as I recall, as so many premies, particularly in Milwaukee, were, just making ends meet and always having a hard time making it to festivals.
When I lived in the Chicago ashram, I used to have to go to Milwaukee on business quite often and I used to go to satsang in Milwaukee, sometimes at Owen's house (I didn't want to disobey Prem Rawat's COMMANDMENT to "never delay in attending satsang,"), and I stayed there sometimes as well. For a few months, I used to have to go there a lot, so I got to know the Milwaukee premies, and Owen, pretty well.
I also remember driving Anne Johnston to Owen's house from Chicago. Anne immediately stated giving the very working-class/hippie premies in Milwaukee a hard time the second she got there -- complaining about the food, complaining about her room, expressing her paranoid fear of dirt and germs, and demanding that all her clothes be pressed and pranamed to (kidding, but not by much). I remember thinking "poor Owen" and that he was in for a hassle with Anne, as I had just lived with Anne for quite a while in the Windy-City Ashram and knew from experience that you could pretty much spend full-time just taking care of Anne and her "needs."
I remember the premies in Milwaukee worked to try to open an ashram there. It had closed in 1976, and didn't reopen, probably until 1979 or so. It was a cute, little place with just 3 premies. Even though Owen was married an couldn't be in the ashram, It was really important to him that there be one there. Owen always used to tell me how lucky I was to be able to live in Maharaji's ashram and dedicate my entire life, which he couldn't because he was married and had kids, and actually had them before he received knowledge.
Owen believed what we all did, I guess, that Maharaji was God. I remember one morning getting ready to leave and Owen sat at the kitchen table with his little boy (who was probably about 3), and giving him some apple juice. He explained carefully to his son that the apples were "created by Guru Maharaj Ji" and that then they are crushed and that's how apple juice gets made. I don't know why I remember that exact scene, but I do for some reason. Remember when we used to hear shit like that all the time?
It sounds like Owen went to school after I knew him. His resume says he graduated from Marquette University, which makes sense, because Marquette is in Milwaukee.
I was told some time ago that Owen's daughter was Prem Rawat's secretary for awhile. I don't know this for sure, but that's what I was told. I guess he went to work for Cosmocon and Dunrite sometime after that. It sounds as though they are quite connected to the "inner circle" which is something I know Owen wanted very, very badly when I knew him. I hope he is enjoying his wish come true.