116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
James 'Jim' Owara
JAMES "JIM" OWARA
Cedar Rapids
James "Jim" Owara, 85, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Monday, Dec. 12, 2016. Private family services will be held at a later date in Hawaii.
Jim was born March 23, 1931, in Maui, Hawaii. During high school, he was a standout athlete. Following his service in the U.S. Air Force, he attended Iowa State Teachers College.
Jim worked as an elementary school teacher in the Cedar Rapids school district until his retirement. He started officiating volleyball matches during his military days and continued to officiate for college, high school, junior high and church leagues for over 50 years. He was inducted into the IGCA Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2010. He was well known for his origami. Jim will be missed by all those who loved him.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; sons, Kris (Theresa) and Karl (Misty); five grandchildren, Megan, Brian, Kathryn, Alex and Anna; and sister, Eleanor (Takashi) Masuda.
Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.
Daily Newsletters