Owen Birr died unexpectedly Feb. 3, 2026.
He was born May 22, 1981, to Colleen Wicker (Reed) and Brian Birr. He grew up in the Town of Underhill in Oconto County and attended Gillett public schools.
He loved playing music with his Grandpa Reed who lived next door and later wrote a delightful song about that experience and the fun times he shared with him. When Owen was in middle school, and later as a young man, he was a singer and guitar player in bands.
He wrote several songs over the years, and in 2012, Owen recorded his own CDs in a home studio, singing and playing several instruments. He shared his CDs with friends and family. One of the songs was called “The land of my dreams,” about a clean, pure land he envisioned we would see in a future time. His cousin, Carlos Fernandez, helped him make a YouTube video of him singing this song and playing his guitar. In it, he walked through beautiful scenery on the Menominee Reservation.
Owen loved the forest. He liked to hunt deer on his Grandpa Birr’s land. He also liked to camp in the forests. He did some logging and sold firewood to earn a living for a while. At different times in his life, he was an over-the-road truck driver, driving for companies in Kentucky, Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
Owen will be very missed by his family and friends. We are truly thankful that he left us some very special songs and a video to remember him by. Owen‘s mother and stepfather are very grateful for the time that he lived with them and near them and helped out so much.
Owen is survived by his father, Brian (Jill) Birr; mother, Colleen (Joe) Wicker; brother, Landon (Melissa) Birr; sister, Monica Nichols; stepbrother, Daniel (Laura) Wicker; stepbrother, Chris Slatky; stepsister, Andrea Slatky; stepsister, Renae Slatky; and nieces and nephews, Murphy Wicker, Samantha, Braedon, Aylie and Brody Birr, and Jack and Olivia Nichols.
Owen struggled with mental illness most of his adult life. Please consider making a donation to Fresh Hope for Mental Health, as this group has greatly helped his mother in recent years: https://freshhope.us.
A celebration of life will be held at the Underhill Community Building on Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m. for anyone who wishes to attend. Anyone who wishes to bring an instrument to play music is welcome to.
