Owen H. Chambers lived a full and meaningful life. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1928, Owen spent the earlier part of his childhood growing up in the parish of St. Elizabeth (Kilmarnock / New Market) where he fondly recalled and spoke about his experiences there learning and watching his grandparents, John Brown (“Pa B.”) and Ellen Clarke Brown (“Mammy”) working and living off the land. In Kingston, he received his formal education at Alvernia Preparatory School on Old Hope Road, which was familiarly called “Nuns Pen,” a catholic school that is a part of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegheny, New York. He and his family attended Bethany Fellowship Church on Hagley Park Road where his dearly beloved 107-year-old Aunt Lucille is still a member. As a child, he developed a love for the game of tennis and learned how to play as a result of watching the British soldiers play at the army barracks on Up Park Camp Road where his mother worked.
His mother, Maybell Ethline (Brown) Bromfield ensured that Owen had a tailoring profession under the tutelage of his uncle, Basil Brown, a tailor and business owner. Owen, whose father, Felix Chambers, passed away before his birth, followed his uncle into the business and with his skill level and expertise he eventually took over owning the business.
Having met the love of his life, Beulah Goodall, at the age of 19 while she was 17, they went on to a lifetime union of 67 years. This union resulted in six children, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Owen relocated to the United States in 1970 in search of greater opportunities for his family. Although he first attempted working as a tailor, he eventually traded in his shears/scissors, sewing machine, tape measure, chalk, thimble, and thread to work for Western Electric in West Haven, CT, a subsidiary of ATT Corporation in manufacturing telephone equipment. There, he established great friendships that extended beyond the workplace and enjoyed taking his younger children to the annual company family Christmas parties. After working for several decades at Western Electric/ATT, Owen retired with the treasured “gold watch.”
Outside of work in their spare time, both Owen and Beulah enjoyed giving back to the community through singing in a community choir, passing out and delivering turkey at Thanksgiving to those who were in need, and singing Christmas/holiday songs to the patients at the Jewish Home for the Aged from where Beulah retired. During the pandemic, Owen dusted off his sewing skills, made masks, and donated them to veterans and the children of the Cardinal Shehan Center and McGivney Community Center in Bridgeport, CT. Owen loved tennis, soccer, basketball, track and field, and football. He was an avid reader who loved reading about history, science, and most importantly, about God. He developed a love for ballet through his granddaughter, Kayla, and was able to attend her most recent performances in Lexington, KY. As he read and delved deeper into the Bible, his relationship with God and His son Jesus Christ grew deeper over the years. He initially became a member of the First Baptist Church of Milford, Conn. Later, he then became a member of Mount Zion Seventh Day Adventist Church in New Haven, Conn. – serving there for 26 years. He served his tenure as a Deacon and over the last several years as Deacon Emeritus.
Owen was passionate about God and served the body of Christ through Mount Zion SDA church as a prayer warrior, as a member of the men’s choir, and as a member of the Personal Ministry where he was the chaplain and whose mission is to pray and visit the sick and shut in. Owen was grateful to be almost 97 years old and able to do all that God allowed him to do in taking care of himself, driving himself to his appointments, running errands, taking care of his house, and seeing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow. He loved his family and covered them daily with prayer as he desired a stronger relationship for each of them with God.
Owen transitioned from this life on Jan. 16, 2025. He is survived by his children, Oliver Chambers, Donna Chambers, Glen Chambers, Lorraine Chambers Gibbons (Samuel), Sandra Chambers-Reed (Joseph), and Bridgette Chambers-Scott (Ronald); grandchildren, Ebony Branham, Eric Chambers Jones, Tiffany Kelly, Ashley Gibbons, Kelsey Gibbons, Daewon Chambers, TchaiWanda Chambers, and Kayla Chambers-Reed; and great-grandchildren, Eric Jones, Julius Sinclair, Atticus Sinclair, Kaileek Boyd, Kaiyana Warren, Da’Saani Chambers, and Da’Miya Chambers; his aunt, Lucille Ashman, niece, Pat (Brown) Ellis; a host of very close cousins including, Keith (Marcia) Ennis, Merlin “Bebs” Jones, Sandra Thompson and cousins extending out to the fifth generation, nieces and nephews by marriage, grandnieces, and great grandnephews all of whom are located throughout the United States, Jamaica, Canada, and England. Owen was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Beulah Goodall Chambers; his parents, brother Basil Brown, and grandson, Terrence Joyner Chambers.
Donations to honor Owen’s memory can be made to the Mount Zion Seventh Day Adventist Church, Children’s Ministry, 335 Putnam Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Mount Zion Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 335 Putnam Ave., Hamden, Conn., 06517. Friends may call from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at the church. Interment will take place on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Beaverdale Memorial Park, New Haven. Services by Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, 1287 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn., 06511. To leave a message of comfort for the Chamber’s family, please visit our website at www.hkhfuneralservices.com