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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The American Red Cross of Orange County has received a $2.2 million bequest from the estate of Mildred and Milton Owens, making it the largest trust ever given to the chapter.
By all accounts the Owens were proud Orange County residents who were devoted to bettering the community.
“They wanted to continue to help even after they were gone,” said Dean Cahill, the Owens’ grandson.
And that wish has been fulfilled.
Paulette Platis, the chapter’s director of financial development, said that the trust has helped the Red Cross respond to disasters and given it a more solid footing in a weak economic climate.
“This generous gift will help ensure that the Red Cross continues to be there for our community,” Platis said.
Mildred and Milton Owen married two years after they met at a USO dance in Long Beach. In the 1930s, Mildred opened the first of three successful beauty shops. In the decade that followed, Milton built Owens Lodge in Big Bear, which the couple ran for many years. In the 1950s, Milton started an electrical contracting business that soon evolved into a general contracting company that worked on projects for local schools, cities and Disneyland. They passed away within six months of each other in 2005.
“The Owens loved Orange County,” Platis said. “And their legacy of giving back to our community will long be remembered.”
