W. Wilson Howard

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. - Services for Woodrow Wilson Howard, beloved family man, business and community leader, and avid sports advocate, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, at Mount Tabor Lutheran Church in West Columbia. Interment will follow at Mount Tabor Lutheran Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight, Thursday evening, at Thompson Funeral Home on State Street in West Columbia. Mr. Howard died Oct. 10, 2006, at his home. He was 94 years old. He was born in Catawba County, N.C., to the late Cleveland Franklin and Antha Leona Sigmon Howard. Mr. Howard had been married to Mary Elizabeth Gibson for 68 years. They have three children; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Mr. Howard began his retail career in 1934 with Belk and in 1938, with Belk as partner, he founded Howard's, located on Assembly Street in Columbia. He stayed with Belk for 64 years. He moved the Assembly Street store to Parkland Plaza in Cayce in 1977. Ultimately, the Howard's doubled in size and expanded to include Howard's Sports. Mr. Howard retired from Belk in 1998. Over the years he sold everything from basic work clothes to high fashion trends. He claimed he never took a coffee break. Mr. Howard was an avid supporter of youth and college sports. He played a central role in the development of youth baseball and other sports in West Columbia. He sponsored a Dixie Youth Team for 20 years. While on West Columbia City Council, he worked to obtain locations and help build playing fields for Little League and Pony League baseball. He helped establish recreation fields on "B" Avenue for baseball and football. A baseball field, the W. Wilson Howard Park, located on Mohawk Drive, was named in his honor. In 2000, a Lexington County Recreation Complex in West Columbia was named W. Wilson Howard Park. Mr. Howard gave away hundreds of silver dollars to young ball players when they hit home runs. Mr. Howard also supported University of South Carolina sports. He was a member of the Gamecock Club since 1958 and a Scholarship donor since 1968. He attended football and basketball games for many years and hired many Gamecock athletes to work in the stores. Mr. Howard was a vital member of the community. He had been a member of Mount Tabor Lutheran Church for 66 years. He was a charter member and past president of the Cayce-West Columbia Lions Club, and was named the World Champion Broom Salesman by the national Lion Club in 1976. He served on the Advisory Board and was an original stockholder of Lexington State Bank (now BB&T), served on the Board of Directors of the West Columbia-Cayce Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the Central Midlands Regional Planning Council and its Committee of 100, served on the Board of Directors for the Lowman Home, was a life-time member of Sinclair Lodge No. 154, and was named "Citizen of the Year" by the city of West Columbia in 1985. Mr. Howard was elected to West Columbia City Council in 1961 and served for 30 years. He acted as Mayor Pro Tem for 28 years. While campaigning, his slogan for re-election was, "If you don't know me ask your neighbor." He was honored with the Order of the Palmetto in 1998. Mr. Howard grew up on a farm in North Carolina. He spent many hours on his farm property in Lexington, where his cows knew his call. Mr. Howard is survived by his wife; his son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Mary Howard of Lexington; his son and daughter-in-law, Tommy and Gloria Howard, also of Lexington; and his daughter and son-in-law, Marianne and Larry Yoder of Newton, N.C. He also is survived by his grandchildren, GG Howard and Robert Culpepper of Atlanta, Ga., Chip Howard of Lexington, Melissa and Jim Henshaw of Isle of Palms, Shannon and Bert Pooser of Columbia, Amy and Jason London of West Columbia, Michael Howard of Columbia, Nathan Yoder of Regensburg, Germany, Joshua Yoder of Hickory, N.C., and David and Krissy Yoder of Pinehurst, N.C.; as well as his great-grandchildren, Cate Simmons, Jerod and Lucy Culpepper, Bane London, Sam Henshaw and Maddox Pooser. Mr. Howard is predeceased by his brothers, Harry, Ray and Franklin Howard; and his sister, Alice Howard Cooper. Mr. Howard's grandchildren will serve as pallbearers, along with Clayton Ferguson. Serving as honorary pallbearers are the "Friendship Sunday School Class" at Mount Tabor, the former employees of Howard's Department Store and the West Columbia Lions Club. The service will be officiated by the Revs. Paul Aebischer and Ginny Aebischer, Mrs. Amy Luckey and Dr. Dennis Bolton. Memorials may be made to Mount Tabor Lutheran Church, 1000 "B" Ave., West Columbia, S.C. 29169; the W. Wilson Howard Recreation Complex, in care of the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission, 563 So. Lake Drive, Lexington, S.C. 29072; or to The Center for Theology, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C. 28601.