Owen R. Cote`, Jr., age 63, a resident of Charlestown, MA passed away on June 8, 2024, after a battle with cancer. Born and raised in Winchester, MA, he was the beloved son of Ann F. Cote` and the late Owen R. Cote`, Sr.
Owen graduated from Belmont Hill School in 1978, where he excelled at Football, Hockey, and Track. He was a national merit scholar finalist as well. Owen then graduated from Harvard College in 1982. While at Harvard he played both Football and Hockey for a time but after a couple of years of significant injuries he stopped playing both. At that time, he also started to pursue a more rigorous academic schedule which ultimately led him to his life’s work. After Harvard, he went on to get a PhD from MIT, where he specialized in U.S. defense policy and international security affairs. Owen became the Assistant Director of the International Security Program at Harvard’s Center for Science and International Affairs. He was also the co-editor of the Center’s Journal, International Security. He Joined the MIT Security Studies Program in 1997 as Associate Director and Principal Research Scientist. He is the author of The Third Battle: Innovation in the U.S. Navy's Silent Cold War Struggle with Soviet Submarines, a book analyzing the sources of the U.S. Navy's success in its Cold War antisubmarine warfare effort and is considered the definitive work on the subject. He was the co-author of Avoiding Nuclear Anarchy: Containing the Threat of Loose Russian Nuclear Weapons and Fissile Material. Owen has also written on the sources of innovation in military doctrine, the future of war, nuclear and conventional force structure issues, and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Within SSP, he mentored several generations of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on all aspects of military technology and the implications for international security.
Owen’s friendships within the MIT community were very important to him and ran deep. MIT was a home away from home for him. Owen enjoyed dining out with family, friends and colleagues. He also relished many family dinners at his brother’s home in Topsfield, MA. Those nights always started with an Old Fashioned in his Uncle Feddie Keyes’s old Harvard glass which he cherished. There were many long and enjoyable conversations to be had on those nights. It wasn’t all serious. Owen was always up for a good discussion about Star Wars or Harry Potter movies. Motorcycle magazines were always a passion of his and remained so throughout his life. He religiously did the New York Times Sunday crossword. However, getting his hands on a physical newspaper was getting harder and harder in this internet world and was of great annoyance to him. He was a devoted uncle and had a deep love for his nieces Eliza Cote, Sofia Cote and Livia Cote as well as his love for his self-proclaimed “fake” niece and nephew, Sam and Nina Harrison.
In addition to his mother, Ann, Owen is lovingly survived by his siblings: Mark T. Cote` and his late wife Tina of Blacksburg, VA, Peter H. Cote` and his wife Nina of Topsfield and Suzanne Cote` Curtiss and her husband Robin of Cape Neddick, ME, and his adored nieces Eliza Cote`, of Blacksburg, VA, Sofia and Livia Cote` of Topsfield, MA.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather for Visiting Hours at Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Monday, June 17, 2024, from 4-8PM and again on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:00 AM followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Eulalia’s Church, 50 Ridge St., Winchester at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made payable to The Winchester Public Library, and sent to Honor and Memorial Gifts, Winchester Public Library, 80 Washington St., Winchester, MA 01890. https://www.winpublib.org/support//a>.