Funeral services set for Marble Falls officer killed in motorcycle crash
Cindi Fry/The Highlander
The community has covered the squad car of the late Marble Falls Police Officer Andrew Howe with gifts, flowers and balloons to show their support after his death April 26 in a motorcycle crash. Funeral services for Howe are Thursday, May 2 at First Baptist Church of Marble Falls.
By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer
Law enforcement and the Marble Falls community have expressed an outpouring of support for an officer who died in a motorcycle crash on Ranch Road 1431, as the family prepares for his memorial service.
Marble Falls Police Officer Andrew Howe, 36, died Friday, April 26 when his motorcycle crashed about five miles east of Marble Falls.
He was traveling from Leander, where he lived, to the police station for work when the crash occurred around 5:20 a.m. near the entryway of a private school.
Since his death, loved ones, his fellow officers and agencies from across the state have launched into action to offer resources and support. He had been with MFPD since June 2017.
“The law enforcement family looks at each other as brothers and sisters. We gravitate to this profession. It's a calling. We share so much of ourselves with this profession and with the people we work with,” Assistant Chief Glenn Hanson said. “The Burnet County Sheriff's Office has been gracious enough to cover shifts, so we can have some time to process and grieve.
“Horseshoe Bay and Granite Shoals have reached out to us to assist us with officer shifts,” he added.
Members of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and the Richard Police Department honor guard units will be assisting during the funeral for the rendering of honors.
Howe's funeral service is at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 2 at First Baptist Church of Marble Falls, 901 LaVentana Drive. Public safety officials will be coordinating a process from Clements Wilcox Funeral Home to the church and back that morning and early afternoon.
Howe, who was a police officer in Richardson for 10 years prior to coming to MFPD, was the father of two high school-aged sons. His fellow officers considered him an extension of their families as well.
“When we interview it's a thorough process, by the time we get to where we offer them a job, we know them pretty well,” Hanson said. “Andrew came in from day one and fit in so well, his personality, character and sense of humor.
“He certainly had an enormous impact on all of us here,” he added.
Hanson added Howe's impact on is also reflected in the community's reaction to his death.
“You see officer Howe's squad car parked out front. You see flowers and balloons. That's our community,” he said. “It really is a testament to the relationship we have with our community, that in our time of grief, they're reaching out to us.”
Find coverage of the funeral procession and memorial service in the Friday, May 3 issue of The Highlander. To offer a comment or news tip, email connie@highlandernews.com.
