Laud Erwin Howell of McKinney, Texas, passed away May 7, 2014, at the age of 96. He was born August 9, 1917 to J. Lee Howell and Ina Hamilton Howell in Weston, Texas. Laud married Virginia Berniece Smith on October 8, 1938, in Howe, Texas.
He was the proprietor of Howell’s Homefurnishings, which began as a small general store in Weston, Texas, where he worked with his father, former Collin County Commission J. Lee Howell. Eventually, their little store would grow to become one of the largest retailers and employers in McKinney. In fact, Howell’s Homefurnishings was selected as the Small Business of the Year by the McKinney Chamber of Commerce.
Laud was a faithful and lifelong servant of First United Methodist Church of McKinney where he had served as Sunday School Superintendent and President of the Lora Ryan Sunday School Class. He served as Chairman of the Administrative Board, the Finance Committee, the Staff/Parish Committee, and the Building Committee and co-chaired the Capital Funds Campaign. In addition, he served as a member of various committees, including Trustees, Worship, Endowment Fund Board and the 150th Anniversary Committee.
Mr. Howell served with the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church as a member of the Board of Finance and Administration for eight years. Further, he was a board member of the C. C. Young Memorial Home in Dallas. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wesley Village during its formation, fund raising for the capital funds campaign and during the construction of the facility in Denison, Texas.
Mr. Howell was a member of the fraternal organization of the Masonic Lodge in McKinney and of the Scottish Rite Body. This year will mark sixty years of service.
He felt it was important when you are in a community to be a part of the community and to do what you can to serve when you are asked to serve and to help make the community a better place to live. Mr. Howell therefore served in numerous civic activities some of which were President of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce; founding member and secretary/treasurer of the McKinney Industrial Foundation; President and a fund chairman of the United Way; served on the Budget and Mission Board of the Greater Dallas United Way; Director of the McKinney Retail Merchants’ Association; board member of the City/County Hospital, located on South College Street; trustee of Wysong Hospital and a member of the local board of the Hospital Corporation of America after the Wysong Hospital was sold to HCA. In addition, he served two terms on the McKinney City Council. Mr. Howell was a member of the Traffic Commission, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of McKinney and the Collin County Citizens’ Advisory Committee. He also served on the board of the Community Relations Committee of the North Texas Job Corp; board member of the Heard Museum, Science and Wildlife Center; Director of Allied Youth, Southwestern Region and past President of the McKinney Kiwanis Club. He served as Director of the Southwest Home Furnishing Association Insurance Trust; and Director of the Greater Dallas Home Furnishing Association. He was a Director of the Collin County National Bank and the McKinney branch of the Texas American National Bank.
Mr. Howell was honored to be named the Citizen of the Year for the McKinney Chamber of Commerce. He was a founding owner/member of El Dorado Country Club and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Howell also served on the Advisory Committee of the U. S. Small Business Administration, Dallas Region and a Director of the Collin County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
He is survived by his daughter, Judy Lyn Cox of McKinney, Texas; grandsons, Bill Cox and wife, Wendy of McKinney, David Cox and wife, Jennifer of McKinney, Tim Cox and wife, Tish of Dallas, Texas, Thomas Cox of McKinney, Texas; granddaughter, Ginny Mullis and husband, Dale of McKinney, Texas; great-grandsons, Nathan Cox, Jonathan Cox, Trey Cox, Jackson Mullis and Graham Mullis; great-granddaughters, Kennedy Cox, Caroline Cox, Sheridan Cox and Kathryn Mullis.
Mr. Howell was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Howell; parents, J. Lee and Ina Howell; brother, Dwayne Howell; and son-in-law, Carey Cox.
A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 10, 2014, at First United Methodist Church in McKinney, Texas. Interment is to follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Friday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas.
Memorials may be made to the Laud Howell Memorial Fund at First United Methodist Church in McKinney, Texas.