Marie Howey

Marie Elizabeth (Betty) Howey, age 95, passed away suddenly on Monday morning, 23 August 2010. Born in Detroit, Michigan, on 28 July 1915, to immigrant parents, Arthur Colwell from London, England, and Marie (Winkler) Colwell from Bern, Switzerland. She graduated from high school at the height of the Great Depression, and then she worked full time and went to college part time to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Detroit, where she graduated Summa cum Laude in May 1941. During World War II, she lost her fiancé (literally, the boy next door) in combat around Manila in 1945. After the war, while working as an accountant for the housing administration in Detroit, she met a Navy veteran, Allan L. Howey, in her office bowling league. Following their marriage in 1950, she lived with her husband and mother, Marie Colwell (b. 1877, d. 1974), and raised two sons, Allan W. (b. 1951) and Richard A. (b. 1953) in a three generational family. Another member of the family was Allan L's daughter Carol Howey (now Gefrerer), whom Betty loved as her very own. When Allan L. died from a heart attack in 1968, Betty never remarried and went back to work in the Detroit area as an accountant and tax expert at Business Control, Inc., of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, becoming an Irs enrolled agent. She traveled extensively with her widower brother, Bill Colwell, after her children were grown and even went white water rafting in her 70s! She never stopped being a loving, warm and supportive woman, even when she moved into assisted living at 10 Wilmington Place in Dayton at the age of 92. In addition, she was blessed by having a good mind and relatively good health until the very end. She lived a wonderful life and is survived by daughter Carol (husband Larry) of The Villages, Florida; son Allan (wife Elizabeth) of Centerville, Ohio; son Richard (wife Joyce) of St. Paul, Minnesota; 9 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren. Betty had a heart as big as her body was small. Although we're very sad at her passing, we're extremely grateful to have had her with us for as long as we did! She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. We love you, mom! There will be a viewing at Resurrection Funeral Home in Clinton Township, Michigan (40800 Hayes Road) on Friday, 27 August, 6-8 pm. On Saturday, 28 August, there will be a memorial service at 11 am at Resurrection Funeral Home, followed by interment at Cadillac Memorial Gardens East.