Obit – Mrs. Dene Massey Owens
Longtime Rome Community homemaker, Mrs. Dene Massey Owens, departed this life at 4:10 p.m. Monday afternoon January 6, 2025 at the Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville at the age of 90.
Funeral services from the Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home were conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon January 14th. Her longtime former Rome Church of Christ minister and friend, Stan Stevenson of Lebanon officiated. Burial followed beside her husband Ray, in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Smith County Memorial Gardens in Carthage.
She was born Dene Massey in Smith County on July 1, 1934 and was the daughter of the late George Lillard Massey Sr. who died at the age of 57 on June 18, 1952 and Myra Agatha Cutrell Massey who died at the age of 40 on December 8, 1934.
She was a 1953 graduate of Smith County High School where she had a double major in Home Economics and music. Her junior year she was in the hobby club, a member of the library staff, the science club and was a member of the junior play cast. Her senior year she was a member of the office staff and the “Black & Gold” paper staff.
Mrs. Owens husband, Rome Community native Leslie Ray Owens, preceded her in death on February 17, 2008 at the age of 79 following fifty-four years of marriage.
She was preceded in death by a great-grandson, Noah Gabriel Owens, who was deceased at birth on September 10, 2019.
Siblings preceding her in death were two sisters, Edna Earl Massey Hesson who died October 5, 2006 at the age of 87, Nancy Katherine Massey Woodard who died July 7, 2006 at the age of 77; three brothers, Carl Kenneth Massey who died at the age of 26 in France during World War II on June 14, 1944, eight days after the June 6, 1944 D-Day, James Massey who died March 28, 1992 at the age of 68 and George Lillard Massey Jr. who died March 12, 1998 at the age of 77.
Also preceding her in death was her step-mother, Bertha Mai Steelman Massey who died at the age of 72 on September 14, 1987 and two half-sisters, Patricia Belle Massey who died February 11, 1941 at five weeks of age and Rose Marie Massey Taylor who died at the age of 63 on November 20, 2005.
She was a faithful and dedicated member of the Rome Church of Christ where she attended every time the doors were open for a regular service or for a gospel meeting.
She worked for a period of time at the former Robertshaw Corporation in Lebanon.
Surviving are her two sons, Dale Owens and wife Marty, James T. “Tim” Owens and wife Brenda all of the Rome Community; four grandchildren, Sean Owens and wife Anita, J. B. Owens and wife Bethany, Scot Owens and wife Skylyn, Jill Owens Fariss and husband Chris; six great-grandchildren, Anna, Audry, Alex, and Camille Owens, Kenidy and Emery Fariss; twin brother, Gene Massey, Half-sister, Bettye Massey Estes and husband Joe.
The Massey family has requested memorials to the Rome Church of Christ.
LIGON & BOBO of LEBANON
