On April 29, 2022, Owen Earl Locke unexpectedly passed away, leaving a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Survived by his wife of nearly 50 years Debby, daughter Hillary (Duane) and son Owen (Cora) as well as his grandchildren Owen, Aria, Elizabeth and Eleanor; whom were his pride and joy.

A 5 ^th generation Denver native, Owen was born on January 6, 1949 to Cynthia Bartels Locke and Andrew Owen Locke. Owen and his and sister, Martha Weiss grew up in the Denver Country Club neighborhood where they loved riding bikes to the soda fountain on Sixth Avenue, playing golf and cards with their parents at the Club, developing photos in their basement darkroom and causing all sorts of mischief with neighborhood friends.

Owen attended Dora Moore Elementary, Graland Country Day School and then Colorado Academy as a day student where he led the football, basketball, golf and lacrosse teams to countless victories. Some of his closest lifelong friends were those he met at Colorado Academy. He always enjoyed visiting his alma mater and catching up with his comrades, joking about a prank they all pulled or a fond memory of a beloved teacher. Owen went on to attend from Lake Forest College in Illinois, and although he was quick to share a fond memory from his Forester days, his heart was in Colorado and upon graduating, he moved back to the Centennial State.On one fateful day, Owen's childhood friend invited him to play mixed doubles tennis with some friends he had met during his time at the University of Colorado. From "game, set, match" Owen was smitten with Debby Cook, who's family moved to Denver from Cleveland, Ohio while she was attending the University of Colorado. The two were married on February 17, 1973, and from that day on, their home was always filled with unconditional love, hearty laughter, and a dry sense of humor – all things Owen cherished.

He was an entrepreneur at heart – always inventing (such as his infamous potato launchers), creating new contraptions and ever-eager to learn something new. He enjoyed a long career in commercial real estate lending and mortgage banking. Fiercely loyal and dependable, Owen's work ethic was unparalleled. His sense of responsibility and commitment to the cause at hand were values he lived by.

Owen could always be found with a good book in one hand and possibly a Locke + Co Aspen Aged Whiskey (his son's distillery) in the other. He also loved riding his bike, hiking, skiing, playing pickleball and grilling out at Arapahoe Tennis Club with family and friends. But of all his passions, fly fishing always had his heart. The feeling of being on a river surrounded by nature and the mountains that he loved was his idea of heaven. The only thing better than a day on the river, was a day on the river with his family. Teaching his kids and then his grandkids to fly fish was the best of the best for Owen. He always had a prideful smile ear to ear when any of them had tight lines.

Owen's twinkling blue eyes and big smile had a way of putting everyone at ease, making them feel like family no matter what. His kind soul, charming whit and quick sense of humor allowed him to connect with people from all walks of life and all ages. There wasn't a person alive immune to Owen's old school charm and devilish grin. He was one of a kind, a gentleman in every sense of the word and he will be dearly missed. His best pal was his wonderful dog Fritzie, who misses him daily.

A memorial Service will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at 3:00pm at St. Anne's Episcopal School, located at 2701 S. York St. that memorial donations be made to Geneva Glen Camp , PO Box 248 Indian Hills, CO; St. Anne's Episcopal School 2701 S. York St. Denver, CO 80210; Anglers of Honor, anglersofhonor.org and Project Healing Waters, projecthealingwaters.org .