He was the son of the late Viola Dodd Howard and Fletcher Howard. He was preceded in death by his brothers: Lester, Roy Lee, Bill and James Howard.
He worked in the grocery business most of his life and after his retirement he became a self-employed businessman.
He was a Mason and a member of Lodge No. 1244 F&AM in Fort Worth, Texas. He was the first to become an endowed lifetime member of the lodge.
He enjoyed working on the computer, card games, staying on the go and helping people.
He was a member of the Cedar Springs Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Edna R. Howard of Cleveland; daughter, Cathy Christine Mann and her husband, Oran, of Fort Worth; sons: Billy Howard and his wife, Pamela, and Leslie Gene Howard and his wife, Deloris M., all of Cleveland and John D. Howard of Jacksonville, Fla.; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister, Peggy Perkins and her husband, Eddie, of Groten, Conn.; brothers: Charles Howard and his wife, Aileen, of Cleveland, Larry Howard and his wife, Judy, of Gaston, Ala., Donnie Howard and his wife, Martha, of Cleveland and Dean Howard and his wife, Della, of Riceville; and several nieces and nephews.
The Remembrance of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 1, 2010, from the Wildwood Chapel of Jim Rush Funeral Homes with the Rev. Leroy Elliott officiating.
Interment will follow in the Cedar Springs Baptist Church with Jeff Smith, Arnold Truelove, Jody Truelove, Andy Arp, DeWayne Cartwright and Johnny Woodward serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 this evening at the funeral home.
