E. Robert "Bob" Owen

E. Robert “Bob” Owen, Topeka, KS, 71, passed away Friday, October 5, 2007. Bob was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. He went to school in St. Louis Park, MN and participated in a variety of sports including football, baseball, and co-captain of the hockey team. After graduating from high school, Bob was recruited by Harvard University. He graduated in June of 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. While attending Harvard, he played on the Varsity hockey team and was awarded the Angier Trophy in 1956-57, all Ivy League (1956-58), and all East in 1958. After graduating from Harvard and while serving his country he was selected as a member of the U.S. National Hockey Team and played in the World Hockey Tournament in Prague (Prog), Czechoslovakia in 1959. He also qualified and was named Alternate Captain for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won gold in Squaw Valley, CA. The 1960 team in the original “Miracle on Ice” and remains the only U.S. Olympic Hockey Team to be undefeated and untied in Olympic competition. After his college days and Olympic glory, he started his own business career with Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, SD while pursuing his MBA with the prestigious Stanford Graduate School of Business. He earned his degree in 1964 with a major in finance and minor in marketing. Bob served with the army reserves from 1959-1964 and received an honorable discharge. Looking for a nice place to settle down and raise a family, he visited Topeka, he must of liked it as it’s been his home ever since. From 1968-1972 he worked for Bill Lewis Realtors. From 1973-1979 he was an instructor with the Washburn University School of Business. From 1980-1998 he was a self employed small business consultant. Since retiring he received a number of service awards from such organizations as the Vietnam Veterans Assoc. and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs for his volunteer work in the community. Bob is survived by his son, Robert Owen, Great Britain, UK. Visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Tues. October 16th at Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home, 2801 SW Urish Rd., Topeka, KS 66614. Graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Hope Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the E. Robert Owen memorial fund, to help aspiring hockey players, sent to Topeka Community Foundation, 5431 SW 29th St., Suite 300, Topeka, KS 66614.