William (Bill) Chase Owens, MD, Interventional Cardiologist
Bill was born July 30, 1938, in Rochester Minnesota. He passed from this life with his wife by his side on September 8, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Bill spent his formative years growing up in Austin Acres in Austin, Minnesota; he graduated from Austin High School. As a young boy Bill worked a paper route delivering papers from his bike and received the Inland Daily Press Association Award as an Outstanding Newspaper Boy, as well as working as a bag boy at the local Piggly Wiggly in Austin, Minnesota. Bill enjoyed spending summers at the Chase family farm in the Turtle Mountains in nearby Bottineau, North Dakota at the North Dakota and Manitoba Canadian border.
Bill is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Dr. Renae Dougal of Boise, his sister Marjorie Freer (Columbus, Ohio), his daughter Diana Rhinehart and husband Art (Boise), their children and grandchildren, his son Mark Owens (Boise) and his children and grandchildren and his ex-wife Sally Owens Kyle (Boise). Bill was a loving and devoted husband, son, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Bill is preceded in death by his parents Wilfred and Adeline Owens, his paternal and maternal grandparents, brother-in-law Duane Freer, and numerous family relatives.
Bill was known by many as “Doc”, “Wild Willie”, “Willie” and “Wild Bill”. Bill honorably served our country in the U.S. Army from 1958-1964 (3 years active, 3 years reserve) going over on a troopship to serve on the ground in Korea near the DMZ and was honorably discharged in 1964.
Bill’s academic accomplishments included attending the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis (1956-57), Whitworth College, Spokane, WA (1957-58), and University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, ND (undergraduate and medical school,1961-65) earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree. He attended the University of Washington at Seattle (1965-67) earning his Doctor of Medicine in1967. He completed his internship at Charles T. Miller Hospital, St. Paul, MN from 1967-68. While attending the University of Oregon Medical School at Portland, Bill accomplished his Internal Medicine Residency (1968-70), Chief Resident of Internal Medicine (1970-71), Cardiology Fellowship as well as a joint position as Chief Resident at the Portland VA hospital (1971-73).
Bill moved to and set up his private Cardiology practice in Boise, ID (July 1973) and practiced as physician and surgeon, Board Certified Internal Medicine and Cardiology at both St. Luke’s and St. Alphonsus (St. Al’s) until his retirement in June of 2003. Bill held appointments as Clinical Instructor in Medicine (University of Oregon Medical School, 1972-1979), Clinical Instructor in Medicine (1972-1978) and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine (1977-1986) for the University of Washington. He served as Clinical Instructor of Medicine for the VA Hospital, Boise, ID (1977-1986). He was a Diplomate for the American Board of Internal Medicine (1972), Diplomate in the Subspecialty of Cardiovascular Disease (1975), and the American College of Forensic Examiners (1996-2003). His professional and civic activities consisted of Medical Advisor to the Gresham Medical Clinic, Gresham, OR (1969), Chairman of the Paramedic Advisory Committee, Boise, ID (1974-75), Chairman of the St. Al’s Coronary Care Unit (1974-76), Director of the St. Luke’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab (1975-77), Chairman of the Ada County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board (1975-79), Chairman (1978-80) and member (1980-82) of the St. Al’s Medical Supervisory Committee, Chairman (1977) and member (1977-80) of the St. Al’s EKG Committee, Chairman of the St. Al’s Department of Medicine (1978-79), Chairman of the St. Al’s Cardiology Division (1980-83), and Chairman of the St. Al’s Critical Care Committee (1980-84). Additional Licensure consisted of the National Board of Medical Examiners (1968), the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners (1970), the Idaho State Board of Medicine (1973), and an Airman Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration (1979-87).
Bill worked collaboratively throughout his professional practice with the American Heart Association and received the Idaho Honoree for Achievements in Cardiac Care in 2007. Other awards consisted of the Mosby Award for Scholastic Achievement (1965), award for unpublished Intern Paper (1968), The American Medical Association Physicians Recognition Award (1971, 1973-76) and the State of Idaho Certificate of Recognition (1979). Bill served and held positions as a Member (Ada County Medical Society, 1973-2003; Idaho Medical Society, 1973-2003; American Heart Association, 1973-2003; American College of Physicians, 1979-92), Fellow (Council of Clinical Cardiology for the American Heart Association, 1977-2003; American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, 1992-2000), Associate Fellow for the American College of Cardiology (1975-1979), Vice President (1977-78) and President (1978-79) on the Board of Trustees (1977-79) of the Idaho Heart Association.
Bill was instrumental in setting up the EMS in Boise, in the early 1970s. Bill was a staunch supporter of those who served in the EMS in various roles from first responders, Basic, Ski Patrol, Paramedics, EMTs, and Flight nurses. Bill was dedicated to his practice of medicine and believed in and strove for quality of life for his patients. Bill was a researcher & principal investigator working collaboratively with Duke University and the Cleveland Clinic participating in 13 national and international cardiac research clinical trials (Phase III and Phase IV) culminating in many Gold Standards in Cardiac Medicine. During Bill’s career he traveled to Taif Saudi Arabia (1980), serving as cardiologist to the King of Saudi Arabia and the Royal family and assisted in setting up and working in the cardiac intensive care unit. Bill traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in the year 2000 and assisted in setting up a cardiac catheterization lab while training the physicians to perform heart catheterizations in the local people’s hospital. Bill received the key to the city for his outstanding dedication and service to the Vietnam people. Bill authored and co-authored 12 published research articles from 1973-2003. Bill was author and editor of 7 Medical Software of Idaho Computer Clinical Simulations, all in 1987. Throughout his career he worked with attorneys reviewing medical/legal cases. He traveled regularly to Weiser, ID and Baker City, OR seeing and attending to his cardiac patients. Bill was instrumental in the development and start-up of the cardiac open-heart surgery program at St. Alphonsus in the early 1990s.
After retirement Bill volunteered hundreds of hours in service to the community, medicine and those in need. Even just prior to his death his wish was to live a little longer so he may continue to serve others, he felt he just had not done enough. His volunteer service ranged from helping the elderly, needy neighbors, being an anonymous Santa at Christmas time, volunteering for the St. Alphonsus Ski & Mountain Trauma conference for many years, which once again allowed him to give back to the EMS responders to assist in their training needs. He worked with the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) and volunteered for the Idaho State University Accelerated second degree nursing program as a standardized patient to assist both medical and nursing students in physical assessment of the patient. He gave of his time and resources as a member of Angel Flight West from 2002-2012 flying missions in his aircraft for those in need of medical attention, both adult and children, and became the Angel Flight West Idaho Wing Leader coordinating flight missions and serving with distinction the most flight missions for Idaho. His most special times were flying children, not only for medical treatments & appointments all over the West Coast, but he so enjoyed flying the children to camps (Beats and Rhythms in Spokane, WA; Camp Rainbow Gold in Idaho; Camp Magical Moments in Idaho) who were afflicted with cardiac disease and cancer so they could just be kids for a time. His wife, Renae, served alongside him as co-pilot and flight assistant in hundreds of hours for these flight missions. Bill received honors from Angel Flight West as distinguished pilot of the Idaho Wing (2007), the Distinguished Pilot Award in recognition of his valuable contribution to the Angel Flight West Mission of the Idaho Wing (2009), Pilot of the Year for the Idaho Wing (2010, 2011), and for his leadership of the Idaho Wing (2011).
Throughout Bill’s life he enjoyed hobbies and activities such as coaching the St. Al’s women’s softball team (1970s-80s), sailing his sailboats (25 ft Catalina in Northern Idaho; 40 ft Beneteau in the British Virgin Islands), participating in hockey as a youth to later in life as coach for youth teams and a semi-pro team, being part-owner in the old Boise ice skating rink, hockey team doctor, skating on a men’s travel hockey league in the 1990s as well as skating on a coed hockey team at Idaho Ice World. He enjoyed flying his personal Cessna 206 and Cessna Turbo 210 aircraft all over the country, skiing (downhill & cross country), snowshoeing, advanced open water scuba diving, and national and international travels with his wife Renae.
Bill’s wonderful smile, sense of humor, the way he liked to tease others in a fun way, a kid at heart, and living life to the fullest, will be greatly missed. Always remember Bill for his love of life and his smile. Bill and I had such a loving relationship over the years, thank you Bill for allowing me to serve you as your caregiver these last several years, all my love Renae.
A special thank you to the St. Luke’s Hospice team these last 19 weeks who worked collaboratively to support Bill and I through this difficult time.
Funeral services with military funeral honors will be held Monday September 23, 2024, at 10am in the Idaho Veterans Cemetery Committal Shelter, Boise ID, under the direction of Bowman Funeral Home, Garden City, ID. Bill will be laid to rest following the service in the Idaho Veterans Cemetery.