Longtime educator T.J. Owens, whom friends and family described
as kind and good-hearted, died Monday afternoon at Kaiser
Permanente Hospital in Redwood City. He was 68.
Longtime educator T.J. Owens, whom friends and family described as kind and good-hearted, died Monday afternoon at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Redwood City. He was 68.
Owens fell into a coma after suffering a massive stroke early Sunday morning. The father of five grown children and grandfather of two, Owens was hired in 1991 as the vice president of student services at Gavilan College. He recently retired from Gavilan and was hired in April as interim athletic director at Hartnell Community College in Salinas.
“For me it was a blow, it wasn’t a shock,” said Edward Valeau, a colleague and friend. “It was a devastating blow.”
Valeau, president/superintendent of Salinas’ Hartnell College, met Owens during the onset of his career at San Jose City College. Because Owens was older and already established, Valeau looked to him as a mentor.
They were friends, fraternity brothers and colleagues for 30 years. They had a chance to work together again when Owens was hired as athletic director at Hartnell in April.
Owens was a member of the national organization 100 Black Men, the Rotary Club and was president of the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education. He was elected for his second term in November 2002 and would have been up for reelection in November 2006.
The father of five was also an active member of Bethany Church in Gilroy. Rev. Gerald Harris met Owens in 1992, when he moved to Gilroy.
“He was very, very devoted to his spiritual life and was always counted upon in terms of his service and volunteering,” said Harris. “This is a tremendous loss to our congregation.”
Harris noted that Owens served as president of the San Jose chapter for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during “turbulent times” for the black community.
“He was a man who rubbed shoulders with people who were born out of the Civil Rights movement,” said Harris.
Through tears, Alisa Owens, one of his four daughters, said her father was more than just a familiar face or avid volunteer.
“He was almost like an angel on earth and I’m not just saying that because I’m his daughter,” she said. “He had a real good spirit and could make anybody feel better.”
He always put others before himself, was a giving person, and he didn’t have enemies, she added.
But Owens wasn’t only a good man, he was also a good father to his four daughters and son.
“He was about the best dad in the whole wide world,” she said. “He would always give more than expected. He always looked out for the next person.”
The affable Owens, who grew up in Barstow and attended California State University, Fresno, on a football scholarship, often talked about the important role extracurricular activities play in a student’s life. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in physical education from CSU, Fresno, Owens earned a master’s degree in counseling from Santa Clara University and a doctorate in community college administration from the University of San Francisco.
Family members, friends and colleagues were stunned by the news Monday that the fit and active Owens had died.
Owens daughter said that many people, especially local children, looked up to her father. He helped with homework, was always volunteering and had numerous plans for helping students.
His death was unexpected and “too soon,” she said. “He was too young and he just had so much more to do.”
Owens is survived by his wife, Brenda Jordan Owens; daughters Alisa and Audry Owens, Annette Reavis, Milah Jordan and son, Navarro Jordan; grandsons, Sammy Reavis and Tyler Reavis; five brothers and two sisters.
