[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CELEBRATION OF THOMAS JAMES OWENS

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                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, October 9, 2004

  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, Tom Owens was my friend; he came to 
Washington, DC, almost weekly until he retired in 1996. Tom always 
wanted to play tennis and go to the best restaurants for dinner. Tom 
was a very effective lobbyist. He worked both sides of the aisle very 
skillfully.
  His friends and family were all shocked when he suddenly died on 
September 16th.
  I wanted to include in the Record a recent article about Tom and his 
family. Tom Owens was a tremendous human being who will be missed by 
all who knew him.

                           Thomas James Owens

       Thomas James Owens--Born June 2, 1928, in Pittsburgh, 
     Pennsylvania. Tom died suddenly and unexpectedly in his north 
     Capitol Hill home early in the morning, September 16th. He 
     was preceded in death by his parents, Helen Reese and Edward 
     Addison Owens, and brother J. David Owens. A graduate of 
     Amherst College and Michigan Law School, he moved to Seattle 
     in 1955 where he began a law practice and eventually met and 
     married his wife of 44 years, Angela (Pellegrini). A 
     lobbyist, he worked on both the state and federal levels, 
     retiring from a successful practice in 1996. A masterful 
     communicator and intermediary, he was liked and respected by 
     Democrats and Republicans alike. Impeccably dressed, with his 
     unmistakable trench coat, he was a fixture in political 
     circles in both Olympia & Washington D.C. Tom was also an 
     accomplished racquets man. After a successful tennis and 
     squash career in the Ivy League, he went on to become one of 
     the more dominant amateur players in the area, winning 
     numerous titles in the Pacific Northwest and British 
     Columbia, including the Pacific Coast Championship in 1964, 
     ranking him among the best amateur players in the country. 
     His true passions, first and foremost, were his loving family 
     and dear friends. A particular joy in his life was the time 
     he spent together with his children and their friends. A 
     gracious host, he loved to surround himself with friends, 
     family, wonderful meals prepared by Angela, and fine wine, 
     most often a robust cabernet made by his late father-in-law, 
     Angelo Pellegrini. Loud, boisterous and laughter filled 
     evenings, roast pork, roast potatoes, hot peppers and greens 
     from the garden were the norm in the Owens home, with Tom at 
     the head of the table, wine glass in hand, belaboring the 
     occasional anecdote or joke. To hear him tell a story was an 
     experience in and of itself. In Tom's case, punch line were 
     an irrelevant detail, as the delivery, often scrambled and 
     confused were what made his diatribes so unforgettable. He 
     also loved travel, particularly to Italy, working out, 
     playing the piano, cigars, spending time with his children 
     and grandchildren, bullmastiffs, trees, and golf. He is 
     survived by his loving wife, Angela, two children Tom (Dena) 
     and Sarah (Scott Lindblad), five grandchildren, Olivia, Evan, 
     Reese, Cameron, Lauren and surrogate granddaughter Gabriella 
     Pellegrini. He is also survived by a brother, Dr. E. Reese 
     Owens (Betsy), of Pittsburgh, PA. We will miss your 
     thoughtful generosity, your wit, love of family and friends, 
     and your frank and honest emotional support. For now we say 
     to the man clad in the trademark blue blazer, see you again 
     someday, somewhere, as we lift a glass in fond farewell to 
     our beloved patriarch: Salute! e Addio, caroTommaso. Sarai 
     sempre nel nostro cuore e nei nostri pensieri. There will be 
     a celebration of Tom's life at 4 p.m., Friday, October 1st at 
     the Seattle Golf Club.

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