On February 27, 1919 in Parole (Annapolis), Maryland, Beatrice Colonia Owens was born to the late Etta Dowell and James Owens. She was the first born of five siblings whom all preceded her in death: Leon Dowell, Mary Ellen Dowell, Dorothy Ann Hall Owens, and Virginia Hall Booze. Beatrice attended Parole Elementary and Bates High School. Bea as she was affectionately known was a beautiful, tall, vibrant colored version of Jane Russell in her heyday. She was quite the lady and was famous for her long legs and black pumps. She enjoyed hanging out with her friend Ruth and her cousins Peggy and Lucille at Carr's Beach - then the only beach for blacks in the state of Maryland. Bea often told stories of life in the community of Camp Parole and the racial tensions that occasionally arose. She was a no nonsense lady and was very vocal when it came to equal rights and equality for her race. In search of domestic work, she moved to Baltimore City in 1940. On April 26, 1944, Bea was wed to John Adrian Stackhouse. From this union, God blessed them with a son, John Adrian Stackhouse, Jr. The couple later divorced in 1970. Bea told stories of a boyfriend named Jimmy who gave her a homemade tattoo on her arm stating, "Jimmy loves Bea" which is still visible today. She also had a long-time companion affectionately known as Columbus. Bea loved worshipping God and attended several churches in Baltimore city. She would often say when attending the memorial services of a loved one, "I love you, but God loves you best." Bea's life revolved around her son, Junior, and her family back in Annapolis. She traveled to Annapolis almost every Sunday catching at least two buses to get there. She enjoyed her Mom's fried chicken, homemade rolls and iced tea. Her sister, Mary Ellen provided the home cooked desserts. Bea also enjoyed spending time with her sister Gin (Virginia] and her family who also lived in Baltimore City. She visited with her sister, Dorothy Ann and her family who also came to Mom's house every Sunday. She often spent the weekends in Annapolis with her mother and sister, Mary Ellen. Dorothy Ann and her two daughters would sometimes join her as well for a weekend stay. During those visits, Bea enjoyed staying up late sharing stories about old times and getting caught up on the latest news in Annapolis, especially who had passed away recently. Bea spent most Thanksgiving Day and Christmas holidays in Baltimore with her son and daughter-in-law, Brenda, and her grandchildren Timmy and Tanya. Although she was on a fixed income, she managed to always have "a little something or a piece of change" for the children on Christmas. She was famous for her homemade sugar cookies - even though they were on the hard side - they were very tasty nonetheless. She was also an avid sports fan. She loved watching the Orioles play and was in love with Eddie Murray. Bea loved football too and was very fond of Ray Lewis and she also liked to watch wrestling. Her favorite wrestler was Tony Atlas. Bea lived on her own until after passing of her son Junior in May of 2009. Bea cared deeply for her son and prepared meals for him during his illness and visited him in the hospital every day. His death was a tremendous loss to her and took quite a toll on her, so she moved in with her daughter in law Brenda and granddaughter Tanya so they could care for her during her grieving process. She was now 90 years old and really needed help with her basic daily needs. She later was moved Forest Haven Nursing Center in Catonsville, Maryland to get the extra care that she required. She was a very colorful patient at Forest Haven and the staff adored her, including her roommate Ms. Kinney. God called his daughter home quietly on the stormy evening of June 26. Bea was blessed with over 94 wonderful years of life - no more pain, no more suffering! Left to cherish her memory are: one daughter-in-law: Brenda Stackhouse, one sister in law: Doranna Dowell; one brother in law: Kenneth Owens, Sr.; 7 nieces: Joan Rodriguez (Chris), Toba Dowell, Tonia Greenfield (Vincent), Kim Owens, Tammy Booze, LaTarsha Coffman (Jules), and Keesha Booze; 5 nephews: Byron Dowell, Kenneth Owens, Jr. (Betty), and Acardio Booze (Lashawn) , Dana Owens and Ryan Owens preceded her in death; 3 grandchildren: Timothy Allen, Tanya Stackhouse and LaVerna Stackhouse; 9 great grandchildren and 4 great, great grandchildren, and a host of other family members and friends. Viewing Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Wednesday, July 03, 2013 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Friday, July 05, 2013 12:30 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Funeral 1:00P Directions