Please pray for the eternal rest of
W. Dennis Owen, AFSC
who passed away on 23 February 2021 at the age of 94.
From a struggling immigrant family, Mr. W. Dennis Owen, AFSC, attended Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in Syracuse NY on half tuition ($50), and never forgot it. He graduated in 1944, and has been a life-long force in our Lasallian world. He was captain of the school campaign in 1960 that purchased the current campus, was instrumental in establishing the school’s endowment fund, and has figured prominently for more than five decades—as member and chairman of their Board of Trustees, and as the school’s top benefactor.
In 1974, Dennis donated his 25-room home on the shore of Skaneateles Lake to the Christian Brothers to be used as the Novitiate for this District. When the District moved the Novitiate decades later, they tried to return the estate to Dennis, which he instead sold to fund an endowed scholarship at CBA for inner-city youths from Syracuse.
True to his Lasallian values, Dennis never shied away from helping those less fortunate. His hands-on involvement helped Syracuse Catholic Charities, several programs for the homeless, and has helped establish several other scholarships and programs at Christian Brothers Academy.
Dennis (CBA Syracuse ’44) was a longtime benefactor to his alma mater. He was also a generous benefactor to the Brothers by gifting Roosevelt Hall in Skaneateles NY for their novitiate program.
Funeral services will be private. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a date yet to be determined.
May he rest in peace!