[Thanks to Scott Gordon at FAIR for bringing this to my attention] http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20021218_2241.html
Ex-Utah Rep. Owens Found Dead in Tel Aviv Former Utah Rep. Wayne Owens Found Dead on Tel Aviv Beach; He Was 65 The Associated Press WASHINGTON Dec. 18th Wayne Owens, a former Utah congressman and longtime advocate for Middle East peace, was found dead Wednesday in Israel, according to the State Department. He was 65. Owens, a Democrat, served four terms in Congress and helped launch the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, a Washington-based group dedicated to fostering peace in the troubled region. His body was found on a beach in Tel Aviv at about 9 p.m. local time Wednesday, according to Stuart Patt, spokesman for the State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau. He apparently died of natural causes, Patt said. Owens was on business in the region. A spokesman for the family could not immediately be reached. "What Wayne Owens did was change people's lives. He did it in so many ways. He was dedicated to public service," said University of Utah political science professor Tim Chambless, who interned for Owens in the spring of 1973 and later worked on his campaign. "He changed my life. It's a great loss." In Congress, Owens, a native of Panguitch, Utah, fought to protect more than 5 million acres of Utah wilderness, sponsored legislation to compensate those sickened by radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons tests in Nevada, and used his seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to advocate for peace in the Middle East. He was first elected in 1972 and served as a member of the House Judiciary Committee where he voted to impeach President Nixon and was part of a group of freshman Democrats who forced a vote to end the Vietnam War. He lost a bid for Senate in 1974 to Republican Jake Garn and made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1984. In 1986, he regained Utah's 2nd District seat, which he held until 1992, when he again ran for Senate, losing to Republican Bob Bennett. Owens helped launch the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation in 1989 and served as its president, spending much of the last decade meeting with leaders in the region trying to foster peace through economic development. Utah Rep. Jim Matheson said he was "very shocked" to hear of Owens' death. Matheson, who ran Owens' campaign for governor in 1984, said Owens served as a political mentor to his whole family. "I think that's true for a lot of people in public service," Matheson said. "The first memory I have of a campaign in Utah was when he walked the state in 1972. He brought a certain energy and enthusiasm to politics." Starting in 1965, Owens worked as a staffer for Utah Sen. Frank Moss and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy. He was the Rocky Mountain coordinator for Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential bid. He spent six years as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is survived by his wife Marlene and five children. Funeral plans have yet to be announced. -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland “Knowledge may give weight, but accomplishments give lustre, and many more people see than weigh.” – Lord Chesterfield Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================
