HELEN LYNN HOWARD's Obituary
HELEN LYNN HOWARD Entered life on a peaceful Sunrise - May 28, 1922 Departed on a peaceful Sunset -March 30, 2007. The angels came to visit in the wee hours of March 30, 2007, to take Helen home. She peacefully passed away in her sleep at her home with her beloved cat "Kofi" curled tightly up against her and her daughter close by. Helen was born in Lundale West Virginia to William Turrow and Mary Miskow Turrow. She graduated from Logan High School in Logan West Virginia in 1941. She moved to Elkton, Maryland and worked at Triumph Explosives during World War II, where through friends she met Captain Henry Charles Howard, they married and moved to San Bernardino, California. In 1946 they set up houses, and then in 1948 Helen went to work for Water Utilities Corp. and Coughlin Company where she worked as the secretary for both firms, and then became a company officer and was made a board member for both companies. An article was written honoring her in 1964 in The Mueller Record Series Magazine about women in the industry and highlighting her accomplishments. In 1984 she purchased Carey Building Supply with her partner and good friend Roy Busby, where she ran the company until she retired in 2003 at the age of 81. She had a great love of books, and was very well read. She loved music and plays, and going to the Civic Light Opera. Some of her passions were gourmet cooking, playing bridge, and traveling to far off places with her close group of friends to Italy, Greece, and Spain, which she loved. She was a very accomplished self made woman, gracious, witty, brilliant, elegant and beautiful. A loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and a loving friend to many. She will be missed more than words can say. She loved her home, her backyard was her private sanctuary where she tended her roses and lilies and nurtured a multitude of birds that visited her bird feeders, especially the many hummingbirds. She especially loved to watch the sunset. She loved her children, her granddaughter and her great grandsons with all of her heart and was very proud of them all. She belonged to St. John's Episcopal Church which she joined in 1950, she participated in all the bake sales, and was involved in the yearly auditing committee, preparing the budget, doing bookkeeping, coffee hours, and a participant in Womens Guild activities. She is survived by her loving children: son, Steve (Cindy) Howard; and daughter, Susan Lynn Strawn; granddaughter, Tammy Lynn McClellan Empey (Mike); great grandsons, Zachary Hostrup and Jacob Empey; beloved sister, Rose Gore; nephews, Stuart R. Gore, Lance Gore, Bill Sabin; and sister in law, Olive Turrow; and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Alfred and George Turrow. Visitation is 5 to 7 P.M., Friday, April 13, 2007, at Bobbitt Memorial Chapel, 1299 East Highland Avenue, San Bernardino, California. The Funeral Service will be held 11:00 A.M., Saturday, April 14, 2007, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1407 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, California, with Interment to follow at Mt. View Cemetery, 570 East Highland Avenue, San Bernardino, California. There is a brighter star in the night sky since she has left us. Fly home angel.
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