Maribel Vinson Owen and Laurence Owen

[Sam_Boni]

A few years ago I was researching the life of the late, great Maribel Vinson Owen and her daughters Laurence and Maribel Jr., all whom sadly perished in the 1961 Sabena jet crash in Belgium, on their way to the World Championships in Prague. I have lots of arcane material about them I could share (without overwhelming you, of course). MVO and her life is an integral part of American skating history and tradition.

NOTE: Much of my material is not online anywhere; hard-copy material.

Is there any interest here in having some of that info posted?


Thanks!

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Fun fact:

Maribel Vinson Owen and Laurence Owen were both raised in my town! We actually have a school named after them.

 

[lesnar001]

I would like to see information on the family.

Thank you.

 

[Erin S]

I would also be interested in whatever you feel like posting. Thanks!

 

[Jeanie19]

I would be interested too.

 

[ManyCairns]

I'm very interested!

 

[Skater Boy]

I wonder if there was a husband/father and or siblings. How tragic.;

 

[WeakAnkles]

A big emphatic yes please. I love history.

 

[moonvine]

Very interested here too!

 

[Sam_Boni]

Fun fact:

Maribel Vinson Owen and Laurence Owen were both raised in my town! We actually have a school named after them.

Yes, the Vinson-Owen School, where I did some of my research.

 

[Sam_Boni]

I wonder if there was a husband/father and or siblings. How tragic.;

MVO's husband Guy Owen was a championship Canadian figure skater who appeared with her in their Gay Blades ice shows in the 1940s.

They were divorced in 1949; Guy Owen passed away in 1952.

MVO's mother, Gertrude Vinson, a talented skater in her own right, was the sole surviving family member. She passed away in 1969.

 

[Saundy83]

Yes I am interested! I read the book on the disaster just a few short years ago and have since read it again.

 

[iluvtodd]

Absolutely!

 

[Jaana]

I remember reading about the crash, was still at school, that was horrible news! I like history and would be very interested in the material you have.

 

[Sam_Boni]

Thank you all for your positive responses.

I'll start posting about MVO over the weekend, as I'm in the process of selecting what to post. They won't be so much MVO standard biography--that is already on the Internet:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maribel_Vinson

I'll post fairly arcane items from my collection about her and her daughters Laurence and Maribel Jr.

Thank you, again.

 

[nancela]

Yes, I'm interested, too. Learned a lot about her in the RISE movie. Also, my sister's late father-in-law was an alternate at the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid in what is now known as the Nordic Combined. He knew Maribel and told me that she did so much for figure skating over the years.

 

[Saundy83]

Yes, I'm interested, too. Learned a lot about her in the RISE movie. Also, my sister's late father-in-law was an alternate at the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid in what is now known as the Nordic Combined. He knew Maribel and told me that she did so much for figure skating over the years.

Is the RISE movie available anywhere to watch online or DVD? I remember hearing about it when it was released and wanted to see it very badly.

 

[Basho]

I was a young skater when that plane crashed. Seeing those lurid photos of the wrecked plane in the papers disturbed me for years. I had friends and a coach on that plane. God, it was awful.

 

[Basho]

Laurence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0114AudgYms

 

[Basho]

Laurance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0114AudgYms