Howard B. Lang Jr.

Lang, Jr., Howard B. 95, of Columbia, Missouri, died Tuesday, November 13, 2007, at Boone Hospital Center.Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 18, at First Baptist Church with burial at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at PARKER Funeral Service. Mr. Lang was born on August 7, 1912, in Fulton, Missouri, to Howard B. Lang, Sr. and Georgia Arnold Lang. The family moved to Columbia in 1929, and he was among the first to graduate from Hickman High. Mr. Lang received three degrees from the University of Missouri, a bachelor of arts, master of arts in political science, and a law degree. He also received a Faculty Alumni Award. The young lawyer joined the firm of Clark, Boggs, Peterson, and Becker in 1938. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands and at Camp Parks, California. In 1946, Mr. Lang was elected prosecuting attorney for Boone County. He served as mayor of Columbia from 1953 to 1957. In 1949, Mr. Lang joined MFA Insurance Companies, where he was employed for the next thirty-five years. He retired as president in 1981 and served as chairman of the board until 1984. Active in the community that he loved, Mr. Lang was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church and served on many boards including Boone County Hospital, Stephens College, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the Missouri Heart Institute, First National Bank, Water and Light, and the Daniel Boone Regional Library. He was a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 15 years. Leo Hill, city manager from 1952 to 1958, says 'I have complete confidence that Howard Lang was the very best public servant ever to serve the Columbia community.' Mr. Lang was also an avid University of Missouri sports fan who rarely missed a home football game. Mr. Lang was devoted to his family. His beloved wife Mary Kay died in 1990 after 54 years of marriage. He is survived by daughters Mary Carolyn 'Khaki' Westerfield and husband Jim and Martha Lang Delmez; granddaughters Elizabeth Westerfield and husband Stephen Griffith, Carrie Ramlow and Alec Ramlow, Katie Delmez, and Sarah McElroy and husband Campbell; two great grandchildren Ella and Lewis Griffith; and niece Sharon Matzen and nephew David Lang. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brother Arthur P. Lang. The family asks that in lieu of flowers that donations be sent to the University of Missouri School of Law, 205 Hulston Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 or First Baptist Church, 1112 East Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201.