William F. Howell Sr.

William F. Howell, Sr.
February 16, 1934 - July 31, 2021
Encinitas, CA
North County stalwart and Encinitas icon William "Bill" Howell passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 31, 2021, at Silverado Memory Care Community in Encinitas, CA. He was 87 years old. The owner of Howell/Kneedler Insurance, co-Founder of San Dieguito National Bank and Past-President of the San Dieguito Unified School District was a key figure in the development and eventual incorporation of the city of Encinitas. He was active in a multitude of civic organizations including Encinitas Rotary, Encinitas YMCA, Encinitas Chamber of Commerce and the Encinitas Community Resource Center. An avid sports fan, Bill, was a supporter of local sports teams and held season tickets to the Chargers and Gulls and attended many Padres games. During key series or playoff games you might find him glued to his car radio during breaks to catch an in-game update. His real love, however, was working with and supporting youth sports, especially those surrounding his three children. He was President of the Encinitas Little League for one season and a Team Sponsor for over 20 years. One of his most unlikely coaching achievements was taking a Pony League baseball team that was 1-14 the previous year and molding this rag-tag group into a league champion. He supported many San Dieguito sports teams and traveled well; at times being the only supporter at away games, that included field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and track. A conference champion sprinter at Colorado College, his passion was track and field. He started a local YMCA supported "Run for Your Life" group at the San Dieguito Academy that met three time a week in the early evenings. At first this started as a men's group focusing on physical fitness through a series of jogging routines but eventually included anyone and everyone that wanted to attend, including children. He volunteered with the La Jolla Track Club and helped with the San Dieguito Academy Track and Field Team. A man of many talents, he also wrote a column in the local newspaper named "As I See It". He wrote about the topics of the day ranging from local issues to national and international trends. The public never knew what he might write about, but one thing was sure, that he touched the hearts and minds of many people whom he never met and sparked healthy debate. In addition, he truly enjoyed teaching and was a San Dieguito High School Adult School teacher for several years. He received a tremendous amount of satisfaction helping these motivated adults receive their GED's and encouraged them to continue their educations. Not afraid of getting his hands dirty, Bill, could be seen sweeping the streets, pruning trees and doing lite maintenance in downtown Encinitas every Saturday morning with a group of volunteers. He helped with local beautification projects and downtown improvement projects. Ever the organizer he managed to pass a school bond initiative that opened a new grade school in the Village Park area. He didn't shy away from politics and was active on the Leucadia and Encinitas Town Councils, as well as being elected to the School Board for numerous terms. When greeted with the usual "how's it going, Bill?" his standard reply was "just bumping along". And that's what he did for 87 years. He will be missed. He is survived by his three children, Bill, Jr, and his wife Ice, Beth and her husband Bill, and Becky and her husband Mike, and four grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held at the San Dieguito Academy track on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 2:30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.