William D. Owens, MD, a highly respected professor emeritus of anesthesiology and former chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, succumbed to cancer on Friday, January 3, 2025, while receiving hospice care at Evelyn’s House in Creve Coeur, Missouri. He was 85 years old.

“Dr. Owens transformed the landscape of anesthesiology through his clinical knowledge, mentorship, and research on clinical outcomes,” remarked Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, the Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. “He was a cherished mentor and educator.”

Born in Gerald, Missouri, in 1939, Owens received his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1965. Following distinguished service in the U.S. Navy, he completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Owens affiliated with Washington University in 1973, advancing to full professor status in 1981. From 1982 until 1992, he served as head of the Department of Anesthesiology and was the anesthesiologist-in-chief at Barnes Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He retired from the university, taking the title of professor emeritus, in 2004.

During his tenure as department chair, he is recognized for enhancing and enriching clinical services and professional training, initiating foundational and clinical research programs, and establishing critical care and pain management programs within anesthesiology at WashU Medicine.

A trailblazer in research on clinical outcomes and a proponent of anesthesia education, his contributions continue to impact anesthesiology practices globally. He held significant leadership positions with the American Society of Anesthesiology, the American Board of Anesthesiology, the Academy of Anesthesiology, the Foundation of Anesthesia Education and Research, and the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists.

Owens also penned “History of Anesthesiology and the Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine and Barnes Hospital, 1912–1992,” documenting the department’s extensive history and its impact on the field.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia; his sibling Robert; three children, all alumni of WashU—Pamela (AB ’88), David (MD ’98), and Susan (MPT ’95); and seven grandchildren.

Those wishing to honor his memory may contribute to the William D. Owens Anesthesiology Research Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine.

Discover more about his life in the family obituary.

The article William D. Owens, MD, professor emeritus of anesthesiology, 85 was initially published on The Source.