Jack's funeral service will be streamed live and may be viewed through the link located here.

Jack Reagan Owens

October 11, 1971 – July 19, 2026

Jack Reagan Owens, known to so many as a devoted husband, father, friend, teammate, boss, mentor, coach, Big Jack, Spirit Commander, or Big Animal. He had the biggest heart and walked through life so fiercely.

Early Years & Family

Jack was raised by Gerry and Linda Owens of Greenwood, South Carolina – parents who were, in every sense, “all in.” They gave Jack a foundation of love and support that he carried with him, and multiplied, for the rest of his life.

Jack has one sister, Jill Owens Wilson, who lives in Piedmont, South Carolina with her husband, Mike. Jack and Jill were named appropriately – there was nothing either one of them wouldn’t give the other, at any time, for any reason.

In 1996, Jack married Teresa Ackerman Owens, and the two shared 30 years together. Jack loved Teresa with his entire heart, and Teresa loved him back with equal measure. Even in his hardest days, his love for her never dimmed. If anything, it only became more evident. Their love was sacrificial and infectious.

Jack and Teresa raised three children – Reagan Owens Livingston (Derrick), Sydney Elizabeth Owens (fiancè Nathan) and Jackson Rivers Owens. He supported every endeavor they pursued, modeling for them the same love and encouragement his own parents had given him. He loved them completely and was incredibly proud of them. Jack had a love for his dogs that were without a doubt a part of his family.

The Athlete

Jack was an accomplished athlete from his youth right on through high school where he excelled in both tennis and football at Greenwood High School. In 2016, he was inducted into the Greenwood Athletic Hall of Fame. He also had the honor of playing in the 1989 Shrine Bowl and the friendships he made on that team lasted the rest of his life.

Jack went on to Furman University on a football scholarship where he did something no other Paladin has done: letter in both tennis and football and win Southern Conference championships in each. He also earned the Furman Football Iron Horse Award for the way he fought back from injury – heart and hustle were simply how Jack competed in everything.

It didn’t stop with football and tennis. Ping pong, cards, board games – Jack rarely lost at any of it and everyone who ever sat across the table from him has a story to prove it.

The Professional

Jack spent 30 years with Farm Bureau Insurance where he built a career as an accomplished agency manager at multiple offices (Marlboro, Newberry, Fairfield and Chapin). He mentored several agents who have since gone on to become agency managers themselves in other parts of the state. He was selected as Agency Manager of the Year for his category twice in both 2006 and 2011.

He and Teresa traveled the world together on trips he earned through his success at work. Farm Bureau stood by him with great generosity during his battle with cancer and the friendships that he made within the company will last a lifetime.

The Outdoorsman

Outside of his family, friends and faith there was nothing Jack loved more than the outdoors – the swamps, the flooded timber, and the saltwater marsh. He was in his element on a boat. There was never a trip without a great time and rarely one where the cooler didn’t come home full.

Duck hunting, saltwater fishing, shrimping, flounder gigging, alligator hunting, golf – nearly every friend Jack has has a story from one of these outings. Several of us have been stranded in pluff mud for hours, diving for lost cast nets or building fires on sandy shores to keep warm while Jack continued to hunt or fish.

His 30 years of Big Whiskey golf trips to Hilton Head Island with his lifelong friends were a highlight for him and he came home with numerous stories that kept him laughing.

Coach Jack

Jack began coaching his own children in baseball, soccer, football and basketball. His ability to motivate kids, paired with a strategic mind and a competitive fire, made him a winning coach who left a positive mark on all that he coached. Many of his former players still call him Coach Jack to this day.

The Host

Jack loved to cook for his friends and his customers. He was an accomplished cook of wild game, fresh-caught fish, shrimp and grits, chicken quarters and wings. You never left one of Jack’s gatherings hungry. He especially loved cooking for his children at home – his breakfast being their favorite.

Faith and Music

Above all else, Jack loved the Lord. He loved to sing about his faith and his love for music was a part of who he was. His family members have listened to hours of The Gaither Vocal Band, Third Day, Casting Crowns, and several others that he was passionate about.

Teresa and the Children

Jack and Teresa’s love story was a special one and people wanted them around because they always brought joy and smiles with them wherever they went. Their friends became a lifeline throughout Jack’s battle with bladder cancer, standing alongside the family every step of the way. His children adored him – he gave sacrificially of his time, talent and treasure to each of them and he was there for every activity and milestone Reagan, Sydney and Jackson had along the way. Jack found a way to make a special bond with each of his children in unique ways.

To say Jack will be missed is an understatement. He gave so much to so many and his absence leaves a void that simply cannot be filled. His fight against cancer was nothing short of complete valiancy.

As a friend of Jack’s recently put it: “Jack’s parents raised one of the finest men one could know – a true heart of gold and the most loyal friend one could ever wish for. He combined being a true saint of a person with being the ultimate warrior.”

Jack is now in the arms of Jesus and we’re certain Big Jack has already asked where the saltwater marsh is in Heaven where he will be flounder gigging and shrimping. He left a mark on everyone that he ever met and will be deeply missed.

Jack’s family would like to thank Dr. Britt Bolemon for his constant care of Jack over the past five years.

Visitation & Service

The visitation will be held on Saturday, July 25 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at McSwain-Evans Funeral Home in Newberry, South Carolina.

The funeral service will be held on Sunday, July 26 at 2:00 pm at Mt. Horeb Church in Lexington, South Carolina.

Pallbearers

Pallbearers will be John Whitmire, Cope Sanders, Chuck Bland, Sammie Liberatore, Brent Branham, Bennett Galloway, Andy Moore, and Aaron Bouknight.

Honorary pallbearers will be Fred Sturgis, John Martin, David Hix, Bubba Self, Scott Bland, James Duncan, Chaucer Godfrey, Brad Small, FB Mack, Pat Marshall, Bryan Stevens, Trey Smoak, Wells Sumerel, Derek Van Veen, and Chris Warner.