Eleanor Owen

Eleanor Owen (January 22, 1921 – February 6, 2022), also known as Eleanor DeVito, was an American journalist, playwright, university professor, costume designer, theatre actress, and mental health professional. She received statewide and national honors and awards for her advocacy work on behalf of families and individuals with mental illness. Serving as an advocate in Olympia, Washington, Owen participated in the introduction and successful passage of health and human services legislation.

In 1978, she founded the Washington Advocates for the Mentally Ill and the following year in Wisconsin, she co-founded the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), which is the largest public initiative in the US that works to support families and individuals facing mental health difficulties. The organization encompasses over 1,200 affiliates at the regional, state, and federal level in every geographical region throughout the US. Offices can also be found in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Canada.

In 1999, King County Executive and Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ron Sims, honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the King County Mental Health Exemplary Service Awards. In 2000, she received the Jefferson Award from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for her advocacy work on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Early life Eleanor Elizabeth DeVito was born on January 22, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York City. She was the third of eight children and eldest daughter of Charles Francis "Frank" and Elvira "Abirone" (née Mazzatenda) DeVito, Italian immigrants from Chieti, Italy. Her siblings included brothers Francis, Albert, and Charles; and sisters Mildred (Starin), Gloria (Freer), Genevieve (Glynn), and Evelyn (Carbone).

When she was a young child, the DeVito family moved to Balmville, a small hamlet overlooking the Hudson River in upstate New York. The DeVito children attended school together in a small, three-room school house. Following an academic assessment in elementary school, Eleanor advanced a couple of levels, graduating early.

Once she turned 17, Owen briefly studied nursing at Mount Saint Mary College (MSMC), before enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), where she focused on acting and costume design. After graduation from the AADA, she studied journalism at Columbia University, followed by a stint as a junior reporter for Newburgh Daily News, earning $17 per week.

After relocating to Washington, she earned two degrees at the University of Washington, including a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare and a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. In 1953, she served as the costume designer for Fred Berk's Merry-Go-Rounders Dance Company's dance production of Holiday in Israel which was performed at the Teresa L. Kaufman Auditorium in New York City.

She spent two summers working in summer stock theatre in Orange, New Jersey. She also appeared in the Broadway production of As You Like It and toured with the production of Life with Father, in which she portrayed Annie. She appeared in the off-Broadway production of The Year of Pilar.

Moving from New York to Kennewick, she worked with the Richland Light Opera Company, serving as staging director for several productions, including Victor Herbert's The Red Mill.

When the family moved from Kennewick to Seattle in 1955, she continued her work in costuming by creating displays for Frederick & Nelson and The Bon Marché. as well as the faculty of Lakeside School, where she taught anthropology and drama. She later joined the staff at the University of Washington School of Drama, serving as associate professor. The following year, she co-founded the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which provides support, education, and advocacy at the regional, state and federal level, with over 1,200 offices throughout the US, as well as in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, and the Virgin Islands. Undeterred, she remained a key player and advocate on passing a bipartisan, $65 million strategic plan to restructure the strategic plan and priorities of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the State's Mental Health Division. Retired King County Superior Court Judge Janice Niemi recalls Owen as a catalyst in the successful passage of the bill, "You can't really pass a comprehensive bill like this without what you might call a 'bulldog', and that was Eleanor."

Owen was passionate in her advocacy work due to the illness of her son, John, Jr., known as "Jody". In 1974, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia. The illness manifested through threatening voices that terrified her son, causing him to withdraw. At times, he became catatonic, curling up into a ball. He also developed an involuntary movement disorder that manifested as uncontrolled movement in his upper body and limbs.

When she turned 90 years of age, Owen announced that she started writing her memoir, which includes stories of surviving a "chaotic Italian immigrant family" during the Depression. Her memoir was published under the title The Gone Room in January 2022.

Owen died in Seattle on February 6, 2022, at the age of 101.

Honors and awards Jefferson Award for Outstanding Community Service (1980, 2000) President's Volunteer Action Award Nominee (1982 and 1983) Matrix Table Award from Women in Communications, Inc. (1985) National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Most Outstanding Advocate Award (2000) "Eleanor Owen Day" in King County, Washington (July 12, 2002)

Board memberships 1978–2001: founder and executive director, Washington Advocates for the Mentally Ill 1979: co-founder, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill 1984–1990: member and chair, King County Mental Health Advisory Board 1996–20??: president, Mental Health Association of Washington 1997–20??: co-founder and member, Coalition for Insurance Parity 1998–20??: executive committee member, DSHS Title XIX Advisory Committee 2001: wrote, edited, and published 11 editions of "Connections, a Self-Help and Resource Guide for Individuals With Mental Illness, Their Families and Social Service Professionals" member and co-chair, Legislative Advocacy Committee, King County Mental Health Advisory Board