PP Owen was born in March 1921 at a cottage on PittsBay road next to Waterloo House. He was the son of Watkin Owen and Elsi (Nee Hartel) Darrell. Genealogical research in England, followed up in Bermuda, indicated that Owen is 29th in line of decent from Sir William Darell (English spelling) of Brodsworth, who was knighted by William the conqueror in 1069. This William had crossed the channel in 1066 with the Conqueror and was from the village of Airel in Normandy. D'Airel indicated a person came from Airel. However, in crossing the channel in 1066 there was so much luggage to carry the apostrophe was dropped and the name became Darrell (uum!). Owen and Pamela visited Airel in 1993 and there is a 34-page booklet on the subject (as yet unpublished).
(From an Article by Dr. Edward Harris, MBE) In July 2005, sixty years after the end of the "Great Patriotic War" or to non-Russians the Second World War, Owen H. Darrell received a letter and commemorative medal from Russia for his service on the Murmansk Run, one of the most dangerous voyages of that conflict. The medal came as with the admonishment that it was a keepsake and cannot be worn, perhaps damping down the intent of the recognition. That acknowledgement is grounded in the fact that according to a Canadian Veterans website "the strategic importance of these supply lines, fierce German resistance, and extreme weather conditions, the merchant mariners and Navy Sailors that sailed their vessels on The Murmansk Run are considered some of the bravest veterans in history".
PP Owen has been an active member of Hamilton Rotary Club for 37 years and wrote an outline of our history which is included in a Rotary Centennial bookmark celebrating the founding of Rotary by Paul Harris in 1905. While serving as President of Hamilton Rotary Club in 1982-83 he formed a committee of "one" to consider the proposal that a Probus Club be formed in Bermuda. That committee made a "unanimous" report which was duly adopted and the Probus Club (for professionals and business men on or near retirement) was formed on February 28th 1983. Once again PP Owen placed pen to paper and wrote an outline history of Probus which is included in a Probus bookmark which, like the Rotary bookmark, is presented to guest speakers at meetings.
(Once again I am sure that my motion recognizing that we are indeed honoured and fortunate to have such a colourful and accomplished PP, "active" in our Club will be carried unanimously and with a hearty round of applause! - sorry PP Owen I could not resist that.)