Roz Howard, Sr.
Milledgeville, GA- Mr. Roswell Roe Howard, Sr. "Roz", age 91, passed away Tuesday, January 1, 2013. Funeral Services will be conducted Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 2PM in Lakeside Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Oliver officiating. Interment will follow in Heritage Memorial Park.
The family will be at Williams Funeral Home of Milledgeville Friday Evening from 6-8PM to receive friends.
Roz was born on a farm in middle Georgia in 1922. Growing up around machinery fascinated the boy, and he spent more time taking the family tractor apart and putting it back together than he did plowing.
In 1937, at age 15 he joined the CCC and learned even more to hone his skills as a mechanic. Drafted in the Army in 1942, he worked in the motor pool, so by the time he came back home, he was ready to build some cars. He told us recently he went to a track near Macon carved out of a cornfield when he got out of the Army. He was hooked.
After having his share of flips and crashes he was lucky enough to walk away unhurt. Before long he had the driving part figured out also. By the 1950's Roz was racing every track in Georgia, and later hooked up with Southern Racing Enterprises out of Atlanta and toured the South East. In 1957 the SRE joined with MARC (the Midwest Assoc. for Race Cars, later ARCA) and won the 1957 Regional Points Late-Model Championship. For the next 3 years, he hooked up with famed racing hall of famer Paul McDuffie and teammate Joe Lee Johnson for some Grand National (Nextel Cup) races. It was there at Darlington in 1960 that a wreck on the track went wrong and three friends of Roz's were killed in the infield, including McDuffie. After that, Roz took the cars to Atlanta, and along with Paul's widow, they auctioned them off.
Roz never looked back. As he told us one day, "I had a great career and won a championship and a bunch of races along the way." He raced from the cornfields of Macon to the asphalt at Darlington, and every outlaw track in between. He successfully retired to Milledgeville, GA.
He is was preceded in death by his loving wife, Treeasian Flowers Howard; sons, Todd and Randy Howard and parents, Elbert and Pearl Yaughn Howard. He is survived by his daughter, Janane (Kerry) Pilcher of Macon; sons, Roswell "Roz" (Liz) Howard, Jr. of Milledgeville and Craig (Cindy) Howard of Eatonton; best friends, Dr. Louis (Louise) Jacobs, Russell (Elaine) Sweatland and Otis (Evelyn) Hester; grandchildren, Bodie (Kim) Pilcher, Mandy (Kelly) Marsh, and Stephen (Sheila) Howard; 9 great-grandchildren and 1 great great-grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Race Car Hall of Fame, GARHOFA, Inc., P.O. Box 491 Kennesaw, GA 30156 or to Serenity Hospice.
Express online condolences at www.williamsfuneralhome.net
Williams Funeral Home of Milledgeville has charge of arrangements.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
January 10, 2013
Bennie Sweat
I was taken back by the death of your father Roz Sr. I remember stopping at your fathers house on Hawkinsville Rd. with my friend Tommy Barnes, Roz and you were always out in the shop working on race cars, he was a friend to anybody that came by to see him and you although you were very young at the time but it didn't take long for you to make a name for your self as your father did, may god fill your hearts with love and rememberances of all the happy days you and your dad spent racing. Racing has lost a legacy in him.
January 7, 2013
Roz and Liz, I was sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. I always enjoyed seeing him on Mondays when I stopped by on my weekly visits. I will keep you in my prayers. Flavil Taylor
January 5, 2013
Bill Hitchcock
Roz & Liz Sorry to hear about The loss of Roz Sr, we will have you and your family in our prayers
Bill & Margaret Hitchcock
January 4, 2013
Mike Terrell
I had the pleasurable task of compiling information from an interview with Roz in 2002! I had known him for only a short time before that meeting, but that day, at his Lakeside home, I really understood Roz, the Man! I wrote Roz's feeling, the best that I could and I urge everyone to read it in The Pioneer Pages Magazine's June, 2002 issue!
I know he is happily embracing Treeasian and they both are smiling down on us all now! He always was a joy to be around and I was honored to be able to call him a true friend! I for one, will see that his legacy lives on and future families and generations will understand the true Pioneer of Racing that he is!
Thank you Roz, my friend!
January 4, 2013
Janane & Kerry, I was sorry to read about your loss. Kerry recently spoke about "Mr.Roz" when he was by Jack's. Thinking of you all, Bonnie Dopson
January 4, 2013
Janet Berryhill & Steve Scott
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time.
January 3, 2013
jeff youmans
Mr, Roz was a kind and friendly man that always had a smile on his face and took time to talk to those he can in contact with in life . He will be truely missed and he has been a blessing to those he came in contact with in Milledgeville. Our prays go out to the family
January 3, 2013
I met Roz in the late 1950s.We hit it off together right away.William charley
I met Roz in the 1950s.he was still in the old shop on colombus rd.
William Pender and Charley Sweatland worked for him at that time.One /Quarter mile racing was big in Macon at that time.Then the new building on Columbus Rd and BIg
TIME Racing came into being for Roz,William and Charley.I am sorry I cant remember the great ignition man from HAWKINSVILLE Ga.Now all three are gone.Three great guys that I call great friends.
I went to Mercer at night with with Mes Roz. Treaser Ann Flowers (for give the spelling)
I am going to do my best to be at the funeral home friday night.
With Love And Respect
Earl Williams
January 3, 2013
Katherine Hester Rozar
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Howard on New Years day..He was a very close friend of my Uncle,Carlton..Even though he was very sick that day, he still had a sense of humor, and made me feel as though he had know me for years..I am so sorry for your loss, and please know my thoughts and prayers are with you all.
January 3, 2013
Russell Owen
Bodie and family, I am sorry to hear about your loss. I pray that God will comfort you, ease your hearts, your minds, and your souls during this difficult time.
Showing 1 - 10 of 10 results
Funeral services provided by:
Williams Funeral Home & Crematory - Milledgeville1670 North Jefferson Street, Milledgeville, GA 31061
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read more