Owen James Cheevers, 75, died peacefully at home in Lewes, Monday, March 30, 2026.
He was born in New York City May 25, 1950, to Dr. Owen James Cheevers and Mary Geary Cheevers.
He was raised in Yonkers, attended Halstead High school, and later graduated from University of Denver. He went on to pursue degrees in higher education: a BSBA in economics at University of Denver in 1973, an MBA in international finance at George Washington University in 1974, an accounting certificate from Wharton School of Business in 1975, and a postgraduate degree in computer systems design at Stern School of Business at New York University.
Owen’s entire career was devoted to finance, both institutional and boutique firms. He began as an investment manager for Private Placements at Equitable Life Assurance Society in New York from 1975-79. In 1979-82, he worked at Asarco Inc., an international metal and mining company, as a vice president and forecasting manager. From 1984-87, he worked at First Boston Corporation, an investment banking company, as a founding manager of the High Yield Bond Department. At First Boston, he acted as a desk analyst, research analyst, and trained new hires. He also developed the first High Yield Bond Indexes and annual handbooks for investors. In 1987, he was recruited by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith as a senior managing director until 1990, when he was tapped by First National Bank of Chicago to develop their High Yield Department until 1994. After returning to the East Coast in 1997, Owen worked at BMO Nestbitt Burns Inc. (a subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal) as a managing director in research before working at several boutique firms, including Greenwich High Yield Securities, Wexford Management and Source Capital. Beginning in 2003, Owen worked at Norwalk and Housatonic community colleges as a popular adjunct professor of finance, teaching finance, money and banking, investments and principles of banking. During the course of his career, Owen garnered the following NASD Licenses: Series 7, 63, 24, 86 and 87. Owen was also a Member of American Mensa Ltd.
An obituary can never capture the full essence of a person. Owen was honest, patient, honorable, charitable, forgiving and generous. He was a natural teacher, a gentleman, and known for his business ethics (NYT 6/6/2002 article by Gretchen Morgenson).
Owen’s hobbies included: chess, bicycling, reading mystery and spy novels, playing pool and golf, especially with his brother, Tom, and skiing with his brother, Jim and his children. In Lewes, he played golf with the Nine and Dine Group in Baywood, along with friends. Owen was an active recruiter for his many pool leagues, most recently, the New Rehoboth team. He also loved travelling to the Caribbean, Mexico and abroad.
Owen married his wife, Alicia Lorraine Jones, Sept. 2, 1978, and they moved full time to Lewes in 2015. Survivors include his sister, Theresa Jablonski and brother-in-law Joseph Jablonski; his nephews, Daniel C. Kolb and Owen Wittekindt; brothers, Owen, James, AJ and Christopher Cheevers, T.J. and Patrick Cheevers, and Brian and Joseph Jablonski; and his nieces, Suzanne Kolb, Kate Wittekindt Wade, Lisa Cheevers Struble and Carlyn Jablonski Healy.
Owen was predeceased by his daughter, Mary Rebecca Gabrielle. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sisters, Ann Cheevers Kolb and Mary Wittekindt; his brothers, James Cheevers and Thomas Cheevers; and cousin, Dr. Margaret Anderson.
Relatives and friends are invited to gather for a Memorial Service at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 16, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 200 Second St., Lewes, with a reception to follow in the parish hall.
In place of flowers, donations in memory of Owen may be made to any of the following three churches: St Peter’s, 200 Second St., Lewes, DE 19958; Friendship Baptist Church, 500 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lewes, DE 19958; or St. George AME, 317 Park Ave., Lewes, DE 19958.
Visit Owen’s Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.