Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

Shirley Ann Owen (Barham), 86, passed peacefully to the Lord on Monday, September 30, 2024, at Brightview Assisted Living in Edgewater, MD.  She was surrounded by her family when she entered the gates of Heaven.

Shirley was born July 16, 1938, in Washington, D.C., to the late Roscoe Holland Barham and Thelma Virginia Barham. The family lived in Arlington, VA, where Shirley attended public schools and graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1956.

She met Lee T. “Sonny” Owen, the man who would later become the love of her life, at a carnival in Deale, MD when she was just 15 years old.  Shirley worked for the Federal Reserve System for six years after graduating high school.  She and Sonny wed in 1960 in Arlington, VA, and were married for 58 years until his death in 2018. Early in their marriage, they lived in Bladensburg, MD, and moved to Hillsmere Shores in 1962, where they lived in the same house until 2018.

Shirley loved people and had numerous employments, but two especially unique careers. For 25 years, she was a newspaper carrier for the Annapolis Evening Capital, delivering up to 700 papers per day throughout the Hillsmere Shores community. Shirley was known for her dependability and congeniality.  

She was also an Avon representative and was especially proud of having been recognized as an elite member of the Avon Presidents Club. The relationships she developed with her clients over 25 years made it especially difficult for her to retire.  

Shirley was always known as a wonderfully caring and giving person. She was a lifelong member of Eastport United Methodist Church, where she worked tirelessly for many years for the annual Peach Festival. Shirley and Sonny loved gardening and had an award-winning yard in their community.  They also were competitive and passionate bowlers early in their marriage.  Shirley loved to travel with family and friends and took many trips to the mountains of Tennessee, the Amish Country of Pennsylvania, and the beach for the sunshine she loved, among other destinations.  Shirley enjoyed music and dancing and brought fun to every gathering she attended.  Her children were her pride and joy, and she was devoted to her grandchildren.   

Shirley is survived by her children, David (Amanda) Owen of Harwood, MD, and Debbie (Karl) Allen of Lothian, MD, and three grandchildren, Ryan, Karlee Allen, and Nathan Owen. She is also survived by her brother, Roscoe F. (Bud) Barham of South Carolina, and two nephews, Michael J. Barham and S. Douglas Barham of Virginia.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Shirley's life on Thursday, October 17, from 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 8 pm at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD.  A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 18, at 11:00 am at Chesapeake Christian Fellowship, 377 W. Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD.  Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery, Annapolis, MD.   In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Shirley's name to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122. 

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