Joseph Howard Rambin III

Joseph Howard Rambin III, Co-Founder of Moody Rambin, died on Sunday August 24th surrounded by members of his loving family. "Rambo" or "Bulldog" as he was known by his close friends, "J How" to his family, was born on July 23, 1945 to J. Howard Rambin, Jr., former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Texaco. Just as his father was a titan in the oil industry, Howard spent five decades driving the Houston real estate industry with relentless passion and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

In Houston, Howard was revered for his groundbreaking accomplishments in commercial real estate. In 1969, he co-founded Moody Rambin Interests with Dan Moody Jr., building new developments that would shape its future landscape. Their early innovations included Houston's first zero lot line homes (townhomes), the first gated subdivision of all townhomes, the first suburban low-rise office building, and the first suburban office park restricted by height, landscaping, and lighting. Later this would be called the Galleria area, which at the time, Howard often recalled, was nothing but tomato fields and a driving range-a vivid reminder of how much Houston has transformed.

One of Howard's proudest achievements was steering Moody Rambin through the real estate crash of 1986 without a single foreclosure or lawsuit, preserving the company's stellar reputation. Over 55 years, he and Dan grew their business into Houston's largest privately-owned real estate agency, encompassing office buildings, retail centers, brokerage, property management, and investments. For his accomplishments, The Houston Business Journal awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

"Life is like a bank account; you're not supposed to take out what you don't put in," Howard often said. His commitment to giving back began in 1977 with H.A.L.T. Houston Anti-Litter Team, which would eventually become Keep Houston Beautiful in 1979. Many still remember joining him to jump out of pickup trucks on the 610 and Katy Freeway feeder roads to collect trash. Howard's efforts, along with many others of the organization, were instrumental in reducing litter in Houston by 56% and contributed to the launch of the "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign. In 2003, he was recognized by Houston Mayor Lee Brown, who dedicated November 13 as J. Howard Rambin III Day.

After retiring, Howard found fulfillment in coaching. He mentored and empowered CEOs, entrepreneurs, individuals climbing the corporate ladder, recent graduates, and even men rehabilitating in prison who would go on to found multi-million dollar companies. "A mentor answers questions; a coach asks you questions and pushes you. A coach tells you things you might not want to hear. The biggest takeaway I tell all of [my clients] is that you cannot do it all yourself. You need all the help you can get, wherever you can get it. Understand that, and you'll be on your way."

Howard's brilliance can be attributed in part to his education at Deerfield Academy, where "all we could do was study and compete for grades." He went on to graduate with honor from The Kinkaid School and Southern Methodist University, balancing high academic achievement with multiple jobs, such as selling women's shoes and vacuums door-to-door to support his wife and child.

Even as a four-time cancer survivor, perhaps Howard's greatest personal triumph was achieving sobriety 13 years ago. After a journey through rehabilitation, he committed to daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at The Post Oak Club where he learned to embrace the Serenity Prayer in his daily life. The "wisdom to know the difference" became his saving grace. Despite the challenges posed by oral cancer in his later years, which impacted his ability to eat and drink, Howard had a positive attitude and continued to coach and enjoy life with his family.

"My family has been as diverse and fulfilling as my career," Howard once reflected. As the proud patriarch of a modern family, he is survived by three wives, all of whom remain close friends, and his four children: Jay, Mary, Joe, and Leven. He also leaves behind two grandchildren, James and Johnny, the sons of Joe and his wife Elizabeth. His wife of 36 years, Karen, will forever be remembered as his "special angel." Also holding a huge place in his heart were his dogs, too many to list. Lastly, Howard treasured his relationships deeply. If you're reading this, you know how much he appreciated you and would have done anything for you.

In the midst of it all, Howard embraced life outdoors. He taught swimming lessons in Hawaii, skied the mountains of Colorado with grace, hunted birds with friends at the "Hotel California" in Freer, held a membership at Houston Country Club, golfed Augusta with his father, scuba-dived beautiful reefs, and later shared these adventures with his family.

Howard's legacy is one of perseverance, generosity, and love. On September 5th, his life was honored by family, friends, colleagues, hunting and golfing buddies, Silver Fox members, coaching clients, and Post Oak club comrades at The Houston Country Club. Speakers Mary, Joe, and Leven Rambin, as well as Charles Fertitta, Rob Wilson, and Roderick Hearn shared some of Howard's legendary stories, tenets, and memories. You can email maryrambin@me.com for videos of the speeches.

For the last 13 years of his life, the Post Oak Club's Alcoholics Anonymous was instrumental in Howard's survival and happiness. In lieu of gifts, the family kindly requests donations be made to support their work of recovery that saved his life.

www.postoakclub.com/donate - choose the 7th Tradition Basket, Meeting 6:30pm.