Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

April 20, 2025

CHARLOTTE - Durward Warren Owen passed away on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.  The son of George and Gladys Owen, Durward was born on August 30, 1930 in Roanoke, Virginia.  His Christian faith was deepened in Sunday School, which is where his life took flight.  That is where he met Hazel Claudine (Connie) Manning.  They began dating as teenagers and were married on October 17, 1952.  They spent 67 years together, raising three children, before she died in September of 2020 at the age of 89.

Baseball was Durward’s first great passion.  He played catcher, his prowess eventually leading to a stint in the minor leagues.  But first it earned him a scholarship to Roanoke College, where he joined Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.  He could not have envisioned where that decision would lead. 

After leaving school to serve in both the Army and Air Force, he eventually completed his education and graduated from Roanoke College in 1955.  He later earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University.  Four years after graduating from college, he went to work for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity in Sumter, South Carolina as the National Executive Secretary.  The family moved to Charlotte in 1965, when the fraternity’s national office relocated, and his work with the fraternity continued. 

Under Durward’s direction as the renamed Executive Director, the fraternity expanded beyond its southern roots and grew from 46 chapters in 1959 to 136 by 1994.  Among his proudest achievements was the formation of The Ability Experience a philanthropic initiative of the fraternity that remains to this day an unparalleled success in the Greek world.  The Ability Experience, founded in 1977 strives to instill a passion for lifelong service for fraternity members while helping to empower people with disabilities.  In 1983, Durward was also instrumental in creating the Nu Phi Society, inspiring a culture of alumni volunteerism and engagement.

Recognizing the evolving landscape of fraternity life, after Durward retired he pioneered foundational risk management policies long before such practices became standard in the Greek world.  This included his work founding FIPG and the FRMT insurance group.

Whether it involved family, fraternity or community, life was good and full.  The children remember snow skiing in winter, water skiing in the summer and annual vacations at Lake Marion in Santee, SC.  Durward taught Sunday School at Myers Park United Methodist Church, delivered meals for NourishUp, and served on the boards of Charlotte Symphony, Opera Carolina and Holy Angels in Belmont NC.  He was also a member of the Dilworth Rotary Club.

Durward is survived by three children – Melissa Luer (Bill) of New Orleans, LA, David Owen (Leigh Ann) of Greenville, SC and Sally Jackson (Bill) of Huntersville, NC. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. 

A service to celebrate his life will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte.  A reception will immediately follow at the Church. Rather than flowers, a memorial gift can be made to Pi Kappa Phi Foundation or The Ability Experience by visiting www.donate.pikapp.org.  Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral and Cremation Service of Charlotte.  Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.

The family is extremely grateful for the care offered by the entire staff at The Terrace at Brightmore of South Charlotte.