Owen T. McCloud

Dr. Owen T. McCloud passed away Wednesday, March 14 2018. His home since 1974 was Morristown, Tennessee, where, for forty years, he pastored the New Hope Gospel Church. In his radio ministry, “Gospel of Hope,” listeners around the world heard him follow each introduction with, “And hello my friends…” In recent years, he took great joy from continuing his ministry through a televised program for Living Faith TV in Virginia.

In the early 1970’s, Owen began a long career in the floral industry, co-founding Floral Importers, Ltd., designing and importing artificial floral arrangements from Hong Kong, Macau, and China and spent many years on the road supporting a network of wholesale distributors across half of the United States. He was in Hong Kong on September 11, 2001, and watched the events transpire live from his hotel room on the far side of the world. He later formed McCloud Imports, and with his wife Donna, ran that business until retirement.

Owen loved the Lord and loved his ministry. His was a thoughtful, analytical, and practical ministerial style that revealed fundamental threads in scripture which often seemed to have been hiding in plain sight. He could reveal much in the typologies used throughout the Old and New Testaments. Yet he had a personal style which helped bring it all to life for people. It was all about loving the Lord.

O. T., as his family knew him, was born at Rosalie, Alabama on December 7, 1940 to John Beeson McCloud and Etta Seay McCloud. After the death of his mother two years later, he was raised by his sister Mary Ellen. He moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee in his teens and graduated with the Class of ’59 at Central High School. After working for a time at Dupont, he was called into the ministry and attended Bob Jones University. O. T. loved music, singing and playing guitar and piano, early on with his young son who could not escape, and later on television for people who sent him requests. He was the baby of the family, and ever the entertainer. He exemplified the life-long query, “How many guitars does a person need?” Just one more.

Owen is survived by his wife Donna, son Steve, sister Mary Carlton of Chattanooga, and nephews and nieces across the country. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers John B., Jr,. Richard, Jim, David, Bill, and Marshall, and an infant sister. 

The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 3:00 Sunday, March 18, 2018 prior to the service at 3:00 with Reverends Alan Black and Austin Cook officiating.  Interment will follow in Hamblen Memory Gardens.

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