Chestine (Chris) L. Owen

Chestine L .Owen was born in Meade, Kansas, on September 25, 1920. Her father was the town attorney and her mother was a school teacher, both from Kentucky, who had moved west when they married. She had an older sister, Velma, with whom she was always very close. Chestine, nicknamed “Tiny” in school because she was small, attended Stephens College in Missouri and graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. She changed her name to Chris at this time so her artistic name could either be male or female. She married Arthur Black in 1944 while he was on leave from the Navy. After the war, they settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Art worked in the family business. They had one child, Linda, in 1947. In the 50’s, Chris began her professional portrait painting career by painting the children of the Tulsa wealthy. She had several one man art shows, and received several prestigious awards for her works. In 1969 she left Tulsa to teach painting in Florida. In 1970, she married Everett Own of Richmond, VA, and began the last half of her life. Her painting career blossomed during this time. She began painting University trustees and presidents, and men and women of business and society. She was commissioned to paint Supreme Court Justice Byron White which resulted in two paintings: one in the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, and one in the Bryon White Federal Court Building in Denver, CO. She also painted Senator Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania; the portrait hangs in the Hugh Scott Room in the Capitol in Washington, DC. Chris and Everett spent the winters at the Polo Club in Wellington, FL, and the summers in Virginia, first in Richmond, then in Kilmarnock. She had studios in all her homes, and developed her own black and white and color photographs which she used when painting. Chris was a truly gifted portrait painter in the traditional representational style. She worked very hard on every painting and would not accept payment for the commission if she was not fully satisfied. For most of the last 10 years, after her husband passed away, she continued to live in Wellington. Her health caused her to need full time care which Margie Torres managed with love and great responsibility. When Chris’ health continued to fail, she moved to Port St. Lucie, first to live with Margie and her family. This period of time was full of children and activity which she relished. Finally, her health determined that she needed full time nursing care and she moved to Tiffany Hall Nursing Home where she remained until her death. We all remember her laugh, her smile and her loving, gracious manner. We are relieved that she is now out of the uncomfortable life she was living. Chris is survived by her daughter, Mrs. Linda Noey of Haleiwa, HI, and granddaughter, Mrs. Angie Galla of Santa Monica, CA. Other survivors are step son Mr. Lee Owen and his wife Jenny, and their children, Mrs. Jessica Kostelnik, Mrs. Abigail Perry, Mr. Samuel Owen, and Ms. Josephine Owen.

Chestine (Chris) L. Owen

September 25, 1920 - October 11, 2011