Darrell Smith “Bulldog” Smith Howard

Darrell Smith "Bulldog" Howard, 60, of Burlington, NC passed away August 9th, 2025 at his home. Born on April 13, 1965 in Burlington, he spent the majority of his life in Haw River, NC. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Eugene and Georgia Ann Howard; and his younger brother, Michael Todd "Bullpup" Howard.

Darrell worked as a dishwasher at Burlington Beer Works, where he was known for randomly singing in the dish pit, talking about sports with coworkers, and-more often than not-grumbling about the dishes. Despite his complaints, Darrell was a very hard worker and you could always count on him to show up. Outside of work, he enjoyed gardening, watching sports, and listening to all kinds of music. He loved to grill out and always talked about wanting to compete on cooking shows.

He is survived by his five siblings: Harold Wayne Howard (Valerie), Debbie Jacobs, Laura Terrell (Eddie), Jannie Hall (Wendall), and Jeannie Leonard. He was also a beloved uncle to Heather Boggs (Jacob), Kristy Mullins (Mack), Kim Harper (Tim), Marie Kendrick (Edmond), Jessica Thompson (Adam), Taylor Howard (Lindsey), Ron Jacobs (Danielle), and many great-nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Darrell's life will be held on Friday, August 15, at 11:00 a.m. at Piedmont Cremation & Funeral Service in Graham, with visitation from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service.

Darrell will be deeply missed by his family and his team at Burlington Beer Works. His grumpy charm and quick wit will be fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him.