Kenneth Wells Howard Sr.

Kenneth Wells Howard, Sr., 75, passed away in his home January 23, 2012. He was born November 25, 1936 in Pikeville, KY to Joseph and Rose Howard. It was there that he met and married his childhood sweetheart Mary Lee Taylor, he being 18 and she being 16 at the time of their marriage. Ken and Mary enjoyed 57 years together as man and wife and, most of all, best friends. Kenneth served honorably in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal for outstanding service to the Atlantic Command, 1969-1973. Enjoying with his family, duty stations in Paris France, University of Kansas, Pearl Harbor Hawaii, and twice in Norfolk, Virginia. Upon retiring from the U.S. Navy, he served an additional 25 years as a civil servant at CINCLant Fleet headquarters, Norfolk, VA in the field of Special Intelligence during the Cold War. He enjoyed coaching youth athletics. He was a founding member of the Sewell Point Athletic Association. He coached and served on the NOB Little League baseball board during the early 1970's. He was a member of the Colonial Virginia Aeromodelers AMA Chapter 1474 and served as the newsletter editor for the past 10 years. His hobbies included woodworking, automotive repair/restoration, model building, and tinkering. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Joseph Jr. and James Edward; sisters, Lillian, Edna, and Betty Rae Morgan. He leaves behind his loving wife of 57 years Mary Lee; his children, Teresa Eleanor Sensenig and her husband Charles of Royal Oak, MI, Pamela Sue Howard of Hopewell, VA, Kenneth Wells Howard Jr. and his wife Teresa of Norfolk, VA; his grandchildren who he adored, Rebecca Lynn Sebastian, Karen Marie Enochs, Leslie Ann Wroblewski, Morgan Lee Howard, Shelby Rose Howard, Kenneth Wells Howard III; and five great-grandchildren. He will also be missed by a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2012, at the Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Tidewater Drive Chapel, 8464 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, VA 23518. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, January 26, 2012, at the funeral home.