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To all:

It is with an extremely sorrowful heart that I post this message. A mutual friend has asked me to pass this along to Owen's many Forum buddies.



PHOTO shows l/r: Meryl, Corsair 29, OWEN, Floyd and Bob P.

OGR Forum member 'Paulinskill' Owen Sturm has died. Owen was instantly recognized by his trademark suspenders and overalls along with his quick but humorous comments on all things train related. He was a fixture at the First Frost breakfast and OGR group photos at the Allentown, PA Train Show.

Owen was doing what he enjoyed...working outside at his home in New Jersey when he was called for his final journey.

A group of us had recently gathered one evening at Owen's home to run trains on his newly designed layout. Owen enjoyed toy trains, especially those from his favorite railroad...the Western Pacific.

Funeral arrangements are (as of Thursday 11-10-2011 at 4PM)...

Hopping Quinn Funeral Home
145 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue (exit 5-A off I-280)
Livingston, NJ 07039
973.992.1414

Viewing Hours:
Thursday 7PM-9PM
Friday 2PM-4PM and 7PM-9PM
Saturday - Funeral Services 10AM at..
Pleasantdale Presbyterian Church
471 Pleasant Valley Way (intersection with Eagle Rock Avenue)
West Orange, NJ

...followed by entombment service at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ

Farewell my friend. You are missed.

Walter M. Matuch
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I am shocked too. I just saw Owen at the 50th Anniversary Metca party. I have enjoyed talking with Owen several times at the York meet, the York Layout Design meeting, and at Trainstock. He was truly a gentleman and a great guy. I am very saddened by this news as I was just getting to know him. I really liked Owen. I send my sincerest condolences to his family.
May his memory be for a blessing.

I remember when I helped arrange the purchase of the layout that makes up the layout he has been building. I really got a kick how he walked in to the basement where it was with a reciprocating saw and proceeded to saw it into pieces and haul it out. It was a pleasure to see it come together the last 2 years. I will always remember him as being one of the people that no matter what was a half full person.
Hope your at the throttle wherever you are Ownen!
I am stunned to learn this news. Owen was a good friend to all of his O-Gauge buddies. He was a fixture at York and at the Thursday night Forum gathering. He had that infectious smile and always shared a good word with you.

Condolences to his wife Mary and to his entire family. He will be sorely missed.
Life can be so sad . . . . we must grab all of it we can and Owen did just that.
I sit here shocked and devastated. There were Owen's suspenders and the engineer's cap. There was his wonderful smile.

Owen was a wonderful friend. Not just a train friend. Owen loved what he did and no one I ever met loved his hobby and his train friends more than Owen.

Owen came to my home and we laughed and spoke of how much we love trains. He spoke lovingly of the layout he was building and invited everyone he knew to come and see it. He enjoyed his time at my house and I loved having him here as a guest.

Owen was a down-to-earth wonderful fellow. He showed up at train events with a smile. He was glad to see you. Not the kind of "might be" glad. He was genuinely glad. Owen cared about you. He wanted to know how you were because he cared. His hobby was an extension of his life. My life is changed because someone special is gone. I am so inexpressibly sad.

For folks like Owen, let's make certain we appreciate the little things as well as the big. Let us not forget to kiss someone special good-bye in the morning and welcome them home with open arms. If they're special, tell them they're special. If they love something as much as Owen loved trains put your arm around them and tell them how great that is.

Owen . . . . I owe you a pinch of happiness, my friend.
God Bless you and blow the whistle for me.

Eliot Scher and Ginny Munoz
Well darn it!

Another good one called up to the bigs. As many here have said, he was one of those who was always a breath of fresh air on these forums. I will miss reading his posts. I never had the privilege of meeting him in person, but felt I knew him just as well through this place.

I'm sure he is at the throttle of his favorite WP loco, and has the highball....

Condolences and best wishes to his family.


ps. Eliot, I just read your post. You summed it up perfectly. Thank you
When I read this thread earlier today, I was too upset to write and needed to gather my thoughts. As others like Scott Smith have said, I am "shocked" by this.

Like many of you here, I had been friendly with Owen for years such as when I saw him at York. Owen was a very friendly guy and very approachable. However, after I moved from New York to New Jersey 15 months ago, Owen became a true friend. After the move, Owen was the train friend who made me feel the most welcome at my new home. He invited me to his house last November to run trains, and he picked up some of my repaired engines from Marty Fitzhenry (who lives in Massachusettts) while he was visiting Marty in June, and personally delivered them to me. He also stopped by the house a couple of times just to say "hello" when he was in the neighborhood.

Perhaps what is most shocking is that Like Phil Gatto (HudsonJ1e), I last saw Owen just three evenings ago, on Saturday night, at the METCA 50th anniversary dinner at the NJ HiRailers. I sat next to him and his wife Mary for most of the night and we talked.

Later this month, I will be celebrating 10 years back in the hobby. However, today is probably the saddest day for me since I have been back in the hobby.

Owen, you will be surely and sorely missed.

Erol Gurcan
I was totally shocked when I heard the news about Owen. Like many others I had spoken with him at York and enjoyed seeing him at York and Trainstock where he was a familiar sight.

He really enjoyed this hobby and was always willing and able to pass on good advise to anyone who needed his assistance.

He will be missed by all of us. My condolences go out to his family at this very sad time.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Steve Tapper
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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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