Born on January 12, 1943 to Helen Betty Brown and William Ide Stinson Jr. in Defuniak Springs, Florida. Raised by the stern yet kindly Grandmama Stinson and Bubba when he was not at war. Spent her formative years in and around Fisher’s Hardware, Ft. Walton and her beloved Gulf.

1964 Bachelors in Business Administration from Auburn University 

1967 Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida School of Law 

1986 NYS Principal Law Secretary to Judge Herbert Shapiro and then to Justice Douglas McKeon 

1988 Began a 19 year relationship with partner and dive buddy Liz 

1989 Began a 25 year residency of City Island  

1996 Welcomed her pride and joy, twin daughter and son, (clam diggers), Sarah Owen and Benjamin McCaskill.

1997 Elected to NYS Civil Court in Bronx, County NY 

2001 Elected to the Supreme Court of the State of NY, Civil Term

2018 Attended with pride, Sarah’s graduation from Carnegie Mellon University with honors.

2019 Returned home to Florida to live out her days under the loving care of her daughter and son.

Betty Owen was a fighter. When the Old Boys Club that was the Florida State Judicial Recommendation Committee, comprised only of male judges, stood in the way of fulfilling her dream, she packed up and moved to New York where she became one of the first openly lesbian supreme court Justices in New York State.

Throughout her esteemed career, Judge Stinson served with distinction, presiding over  countless cases with wisdom, fairness, and compassion. Her dedication to upholding the principles of justice and equality made her a respected and formidable figure on and off the bench.