Virgil Howell

HOWELL, Virgil M., 77, a lifelong resident and native of Tampa, went to join our Lord in heaven November 27, 2006, after a courageous battle with leukemia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nuila and Mary Howell; brother, Earle; sister, Norma Benson; and niece Paula Hines. He is survived by his loving wife, Sylvia; devoted son, Cesar J. Howell (recently returning from service in Afghanistan), and wife, Debbie; daughter, Karen Dodd, and husband, Greg; grandchildren, Jason Howell and Cheva Fowler; as well as great-grandchildren Elexus and Drea Fowler; and many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Virgil graduated from Hillsborough High School and attended Wake Forest University. He was an automobile dealer and a member of National Automobile Dealers Association for 50 years. He was a member of the National Guard and the Krewe of Santiago. Virgil leaves a legacy of a family who cherished and loved him deeply and an abundance of friends who were recipients of his wonderful wit and humor, generosity and loving kindness. He was an AVID GATOR fan, often joking that he bled orange and blue. He also supported the Bucs and enjoyed sports of any kind. The family extends their deepest thanks to his physicians, Dr. Benedict Maniscalco, Dr. Frank Lane, Dr. Adam Katz, Dr. Henry Weiss and Dr. Nadeem Kahn, as well as to the staff members of Memorial Hospital for their care and compassion. A special thanks to Dr. Elloise Harman of Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. We will miss your heart warming smile and your uplifting words of encouragement. You will live forever in our hearts. Please join our family for a service memorializing his great spirit to take place at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Donations made to the Leukemia Foundation (www.leukemiafoundation.org), in lieu of flowers, will be greatly appreciated. A guestbook can be found at www.blountcurry.com