W. E. “Bill” Howard

W. E. “Bill” Howard

January 10, 1927 — January 6, 2018

W. E. “Bill” Howard was born Jan. 10, 1927, in Borger, Texas, to William Howard and Era Lucille Jones Howard. He joyfully met the Lord in Marble Falls on Jan. 6, 2018.

He was preceded in death by his wife Lula Adeline Howard; son Richard Ledell Howard; sister Marie Howard Askins; sister Lucille Howard Anderson; and sister Dorice Howard Wilson. He is survived by his brother Arthur Richard Howard and his wife Nancy; daughter Virginia Lou Hinds and her husband Joe Hinds; son W. E. “Barney” Howard, Jr. and his wife Gayle; son Randy Cornell Howard and his wife Barbara; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Bill was a coxswain in the Navy during WWII, serving in a construction and repair division on Guam, where he was proud to have met both Gen. Eisenhower and Adm. Nimitz. He met his wife Lu in Odessa, where they married on Dec. 7, 1946. After WWII, Bill went to work for Gulf Oil as the head bookkeeper. He attended Texas Tech and later earned his CPA license. Bill was a practicing CPA in Odessa for 50 years.

A Christian, Bill is described as a true gentleman, a genuinely happy person, and cheap with himself but generous with everyone else. Those who knew him best will remember Bill often saying, “If you want friends, show yourself friendly.”

To celebrate Bill’s life, the family will hold a graveside service at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa.