Owen James Groark Jr of Centerville, Mass., and Naples, Fla., formerly of Fairfield, Conn., died Monday, October 22, after a long illness. Groark was born September 18, 1929, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Dr Owen James Groark and Ethel (Donovan) Groark. He was a graduate of the Fairfield Preparatory School and Fairfield University.
He married Madeline Leahy in 1956, and was often seen at many antiques shows in and around Fairfield County, where he assisted Madeline, who was an antiques dealer for many years. He served in the Korean War and then was employed by Liberty Mutual. He left there to open his own insurance agency and later merged with the William Naff agency.
Groark is survived by his wife of 51 years, Madeline Leahy Groark, as well as his three children, Lynn Groark Fairfield-Sonn and her husband James of Old Lyme, Conn., Laura Groark of Boston and Centerville, Mass., and O. James Groark and his wife Deborah of Pittsford, N.Y. He is also survived by his five grandchildren, Anne, Jimmy and John Fairfield-Sonn and William and Joseph Groark and his two sisters, Ethel Groark McMahon and Jane Groark Lynge.
A funeral mass was held at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Fairfield, Conn., on October 26. Burial was private. Memorial donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 2969 Whitney Avenue, Hamden CT 06518.