Family and friends remembered James Owen at Little Jim’s on Sun., April 13. Owen, an employee at the gay bar and a partner of the late gay-rights activist Thom Dombkowski, passed away March 31 at the age of 54.
One of Owen’s sisters, Sharon Frost, told Windy City Times a few days before the gathering that, growing up, he was ‘a lot of fun. He always took care of us, was the life of the party and knew where everything was in Chicago. Even as a child, you could depend on him.’ When asked what she will miss most about him, Frost said that ‘there’s so much. James was always into fine dining, and he would take us out to different restaurants. I’ll also miss talking with him. Also, when we got off work, he would go to Dunkin’ Donuts, drive down to our house on the South Side, put the donuts on the porch and would go back home. Then, when we’d get ready to take the girls to school, you opened the door and there’d be donuts sitting there—and the girls would be so happy.’