It is with heavy hearts that we regret to inform our readers that our friend and Townhall colleague Bob Owens, editor of Bearing Arms, has passed away.

For more than a dozen years, Bob Owens has been part of the New Media world, arguing passionately and creating bonds of community and friendship. I first “met” Bob while he was writing at Confederate Yankee, and I was writing at Captain’s Quarters in the days when the blogosphere was more start-up than fully developed. We linked each other, and then began corresponding with each other, and occasionally crossed paths at the conventions and other events. Bob had a great if sometimes sardonic sense of humor, and his passion was hard to miss. His excellence and dedication was impossible to miss.

I didn’t play any role in Bob’s hiring to run Bearing Arms, but I was delighted to hear of it. Bob was the perfect choice for the site, and it gave us more opportunities to work with each other. His work made the site one of the premier voices for the Second Amendment, and his insight held all sides accountable. Bob made sure to highlight the injustices while also debunking urban legends no matter whom they served. His defense of Second Amendment rights included criticism of abuses of them, and Bob became a go-to guy on the legal issues on various incidents. That didn’t always delight his readers, but it always informed them — and me.

I wish I could have had more time to get to know Bob. I know there are a lot of people who feel that way today. Pray for Bob, his family, his colleagues at Townhall Media Group, and for all of you whose lives he touched in some manner, great or small. And be sure to read the touching tributes from my colleagues and friends Jenn Jacques and Katie Pavlich today, too, who knew Bob better than most of us.

Bob leaves behind a wife and two daughters. Townhall Media Group has launched a GoFundMe page to help them through the financial struggles of Bob’s death. All donations are much appreciated. It’s a great way to express what Bob meant to us for his family, at a time when they can really use our support.