Richard D. Howell

Richard D. Howell, 85, formerly of Memphis, passed away peacefully on July 29th at his Southaven, MS home after a short battle with cancer. He was Catholic and an Army Veteran.

He was predeceased by his wife, Shelby of 57 years, two brothers and one sister. He leaves his children, Debbie (Craig) Mathews of Mobile, AL, Donna (Mark) Weber of Cordova, TN, Richard (Renee) Howell of Bartlett, TN, nine grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren with another due this fall. He also leaves a brother, Lawrence (Mary Sue) Howell of Huntsville, AL, and sisters, Beverly (Lonnie) White of Arlington, TN, and Mary Frances (Timothy) Allen of San Antonio, TX.

Richard made his career as a highly-sought after kitchen & bath designer in Memphis and the Mid-South for 60 yrs where he designed numerous beautiful custom kitchen and bath designs and left his special touch on each. Each design was a work of art. He was a designer with St.Charles Custom Kitchens of Midtown Memphis, Carruther's Kitchens, Inc. of Midtown and eventually as a free-lance designer. While working as a designer with St. Charles Custom Kitchens, he was selected to design the brick waterfall grotto in Elvis's Jungle Room at Graceland. He also designed a contemporary purple and white kitchen for Issac Hayes' Shady Grove home in the mid 70's as well as the kitchen in the first East Memphis Quantum House.

Richard grew up in Midtown Memphis, graduated from Catholic High School (when it was still an all-boy school) and attended Memphis State Univ, majoring in mechanical drawing in the 60's, But, it was his natural, God-given artistic talent and natural sales ability that contributed to his successful kitchen design career.

He was one of the chosen few who were asked to "pal" around with Elvis Presley and friends in the late 50's during the exciting start of Elvis' career where they played touch football at Whitehaven High School, watched movies at the Strand by Elvis,Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Eddie Cash in his children and grand-children. He was also an active fan & supporter theater and rode the Zippin Pippin roller coaster along with wife Shelby and other selected couples after normal Fairground hours.

Richard was also considered to be a master gardener and carpenter by many who knew him as he designed and planted many beautiful flower gardens and used his carpentry skill to renovate many of his homes before being a" fixer upper" became popular.

He was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish, deer hunt, golf, boat and swim and was also a die-hard U of M football and basketball fan, Memphis Grizzly fan and Alabama and Ole Miss football fan. He also loved to bowl and bowled in many local bowling leagues from the 60's thru the early 90's.

Richard was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and instilled his love of dogs, horses, photography, art, drawing, country and gospel music of their sports and school activities.

Richard will truly be missed by his family but has left them a legacy of love and wonderful happy memories that will last forever. Family will receive friends from 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Friday, August 2nd at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Rd, Bartlett, TN. Services will follow at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The American Cancer Society, The Diabetes Association, The American Heart Association, Catholic Charities, or Christ the King Catholic Church of Southaven, MS.

His family is grateful for the care he received from Dr. Ciao Newman and the Baptist Desoto Hospice Team.