Sadly, we have lost another staunch TRAA supporter and great friend of the towing industry and its associations, R.L. Owens. R.L. was founder of Owens Auto Parts and Garage in Corbin, Kentucky. He was a member of several local and state boards and a dedicated deacon in the Central Baptist Church.
In a tribute by Scott Burrows, he wrote: “Sometime last year, my last visit with RL was somewhat painful, for many reasons. Both he and my father had begun suffering memory loss problems with their advancing age. Dad and I stopped by the business and were quickly directed to visit RL and Hettie at their house…we were met with open arms and broad smiles from them both. As we visited together, I realized how fortunate I was to be in the presence of two men who had accomplished recoveries with only rudimentary equipment, had rescued motorists and truckers with only limited mechanical wreckers, and had enjoyed the success that only a “hard-day’s night” can provide. As they shared “war stories” and matched humorous asides with each other, I could only imagine how hard they must have worked with the limited resources that operators had access to in the early years of towing.”
RL’s funeral was held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the Central Baptist Church in Corbin, KY. In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted at Central Baptist Church and Kentucky Tech Corbin Area Center, 1909 S. Snyder St. , Corbin, KY 40701
(www.thetowblog.com)
Posted by Cyndi Kight, Associate Editor of Towing and Recovery Footnotes
