Owen Fett

Owen Fett was a man cut from a different cloth, tough as leather yet soft as silk, a hardworking man who earned all the many successes in his lifetime. He was a member of our Greatest Generation, a proud veteran, a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. Most of all, Owen was a good man with a good life, a life we were so blessed to have shared. Owens story began on a cool fall day in 1921, in the beautiful shoreline city of Grand Haven, Michigan. Those were times of change in this country, as newly-elected President Warren Harding promised the American people a return to normalcy. America officially ended its war with Germany in World War I, and resumed life as normal in the Prohibition era. On October 5, 1921, George and Anna (Karthens) Fett found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Owen George Fett. Owens dad was a piano inspector, before becoming a machinist and later head of the draft board in Ottawa County. His mother cared for the home, which little Owen shared with his baby sister Betty, born two years after him. Owen attended Grand Haven Schools, where he became a standout athlete on the Buccaneers baseball and basketball teams. Those were magical times for the Bucs hoops squad, when coach Gus Cohrs led them to an unprecedented seven state titles during a 10-year span. Owen was more than all play and no work, though, and also joined the schools banking club. After he graduated from Grand Haven High in 1939, Owen headed up to Baker Business School in Muskegon for a time, before finding full-time work at the Eagle-Ottawa Leather Co., where he was a star for the companys baseball and basketball teams, too. With World War II raging overseas, Owen began taking pilots training in Muskegon. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Owen wasted little time, and enlisted in the Navy in 1942. He was commissioned in 1944, and began flying the SB2C Helldiver from the decks of the FDR Aircraft Carrier, a very dangerous assignment, and not for the faint of heart. He had many harrowing adventures in the military, including the time he and his co-pilot had to ditch into the ocean. They stayed dry on the planes wings until the rescue boat arrived, only to then have to jump in the water when the plane was nearly sucked into the ships propeller! Another time he and a Navy buddy rolled a Jeep, when his friend prodded him to drive faster. Quit dragging the anchor, Owen! he yelled, not very good advice after a long night on the town! Owens spirits were buoyed by the beautiful young woman he met while on leave in 1944. He had come home and gone to a dance in Muskegon, where he met a wonderful young girl named Helen Juhas. They kept in contact while he was away, and when the war ended and he returned, they wasted little time. They were married on November 16, 1945, in Grand Haven, at St. Johns Lutheran Church, where Owen was a lifelong, active member. Owen served out the rest of his time in the Navy, and was discharged in 1947. He returned to Grand Haven and his beautiful bride, and soon went back to work at Eagle-Ottawa Leather. It wasnt long before the husband and wife became father and mother, too. The couple was blessed with three wonderful sons, Daniel, Gregory and Bradley, who made their father so happy and proud. The family did much together over the years, including many trips to Florida during the kids Christmas breaks from school, and a special, two-week journey to Seattle in 1962, to see the Worlds Fair together. Owen was a wonderful, hardworking provider for his family. After 25 years toiling at Eagle-Ottawa, Owen bravely ventured out and started his own leather business, called Braided Leather Products. His company made horse and dog leads, and was quite successful, thanks to his hard work and vision. Of course, Owen was far from all work and no play. He believed in unwinding when he came home, and every night he and his beloved Helen sat down and had a Manhattan together (he usually finished hers, too!). He also loved to watch the game on TV, as a lifelong sports fan (even the Detroit Lions). He loved going out for a good meal in a good restaurant, as well. In the summertime, he never missed getting together with his coworkers or church buddies for his traditional Thursday night poker game. Owen also was very active at St. Johns Lutheran Church, where he was a member since he was a little boy. He was a board member there, as well as a past council president, too. Most of all, Owen loved spending time with his family, who meant the world to him. He was such a caring, generous and honest man, and completely devoted to his wife, children and grandchildren. Later in life, when his wifes health began to decline, Owen lovingly became her full-time caregiver, a hard worker right to the end. Eventually, they came to reside together at the Robinwood Adult Foster Care Home, where Owen lived the rest of his days. Sadly, Owen died there on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at the age of 86. Owen was a wonderful man, who lived a wonderful life, a life of service, love and devotion. He was a man cut from a different cloth, a man tough as leather yet soft as silk. Owen was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, a good man with a good life, a life we were so blessed to have shared. He will be greatly missed. Owen is survived by his wife, Helen; 3 sons, Daniel (Deborah) Fett of Grand Haven, Gregory (Cynthia) Fett of Toledo & Bradley (Joan) Fett of Grand Haven; 5 grandchildren, Jacqueline, Jennifer, Lisa , Michael & Adam Fett; 1 great grandson, Vincent Fett. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Daniel & a sister, Betty Krohn. Services are scheduled for Saturday, February 2, 2008, 11:00 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church with Pastor Dieter Haute officiating. Visitation is on Saturday, 10-11:00 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church. MEMORIAL: Harbor Humane Society, Hospice of North Ottawa, North Ottawa in Home Care or St. John's Lutheran Church. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or sign the online guest book.