William Robert Gautier Howard, 77, of St. Cloud, Florida, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. He was the loving husband of Frances W. Howard, also of St. Cloud and they were blessed to have shared thirty-one years together.
Born in Tuskegee Alabama, he was the son of William R. Howard and Anna Mackoy. He was a graduate of Edgewater High School. He was a retired fireman from the City of Orlando fire department.
He was a member of Heartcry Chapel in St. Cloud. He enjoyed spending time with his wife, Frances, his children, and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His nickname as a child was “Billy Bob”, which stayed with him all the way to the firehouse and even today some of his friends still refer to him by that name. He had a sweet soul and was loved by everyone he met. He was a very generous and caring person, not just with his family but also with his friends and neighbors. He was often called “Mayor of his street” because of his kindness for his neighbors and his fun-loving spirit. He loved watching westerns, war movies, and the movie “Jaws” with his wife and had a fondness for chocolate chip cookies and “Lance” peanut butter crackers.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Anna Howard. He is survived by his wife, Frances Howard of St. Cloud; his two daughters, Amorette (Barry) of North Carolina and Alisia (Mark) of Apopka, FL; his son, Robby (Christine) of St. Cloud, FL; his two step-sons, Timothy (Denise) of Merritt Island and Jimmy (Janice) of Sarasota, FL; his sister, Anne (aka “Sis”) of Longwood, FL; his nine grandchildren: Caylie, Cassie, Carter, Jessica, Joshua, Richard (Tabby), Taylor, Jared, and Aiden; his great-grandchildren, Loretta and Raylan; his nieces: Sheri (Mark) and Kathryn (Jim); his nephew, Jimmy (Kim); his great-nephews, Brody and Hutch; his great-niece, Jenna; his sister-in-law, Martha (Glen); and his many devoted friends.
Services will be held on Sunday, May 24, 2020 at the Life Event Center at Florida Memorial, 5950 S. US Hwy 1, Rockledge, FL. A Visitation will be held between 12pm and 1pm with the funeral starting immediately afterward at 1pm. Interment is expected to occur at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Association: https://www.alz.org/cnfl
