was attacked for his "liberal" voting record, which his supporters contended actually was liberal only by the standard of conservative Utah politics. Following his Senate defeat, he retired to semi-private life but remained a tireless proponent for the causes he had championed in the U.S. Congress. Throughout his congressional career, Owens was a friend to environmentalists (he would later serve on the boards of several environmental organizations within the state), an advocate for "downwinders" who had suffered radiation exposure during atomic testing in Nevada in the 1950s, a strong supporter of the Central Utah Project to bring much-needed water to the region, and founder of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. He always considered his vote, along with the votes of his fellow freshman congressmen, to force the vote that ended the Vietnam War to be one of the highlights of his career. Personal life After serving as a congressman, Owens was selected as a LDS Mission President and served as such for a three year tenure in the Montreal mission in Canada 1975 to 1978. He was the founder and representative of the Institute of Middle Eastern Peace in Israel. On December 18, 2002, Owens suffered a fatal heart attack in Tel Aviv, Israel while on a trip to further the cause of Middle East peace. In the 2014 and 2016 congressional elections, Wayne Owens' son, Doug Owens, ran for election to Utah's 4th congressional district. He was defeated by Republican candidate Mia Love in both of his runs. References External links Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–Present The Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation The Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation — : Wayne Owens, 1937–2002 Hinckley Institute of Politics Hall of Fame 1937 births 2002 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints American Mormon missionaries in Canada Mission presidents (LDS Church) People from Panguitch, Utah Politicians from Salt Lake City University of Utah alumni Utah lawyers Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery American Mormon missionaries in France Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law alumni 20th-century American politicians Latter Day Saints from Utah 20th-century American lawyers