Eileen Portele Howell

chances are, it belonged to Eileen Portele Howell. On May 17, 2025, at the age of 68, Eileen

traded this world for heaven, surrounded by the love of her family in her hometown of Houston,

Texas.

Born on July 11, 1956, Eileen was the youngest of ten Portele children. She grew up on Tulane

Street in the Houston Heights, and when she married the love of her life, Harold, on March 14,

1975, she moved just two miles away. Those who knew her know it was because she never felt

the need to stray too far from the people and places she cherished.

Eileen and Harold were a match made in heaven, and for fifty years they built a life filled with

love, stories, inside jokes, and endless adventures — from their cozy Heights home to their

peaceful retreat in Camp Wood, Texas, where life was slower and the stars were brighter.

Together, they raised their son, Steven, and daughter, Lynda.

Eileen came to know the Lord at First Baptist Church Houston, and last attended Magnolia

Cowboy Church.

Eileen spent her career keeping people organized. She worked as a bookkeeper for a plumbing

supply business, then devoted 28 years to the Houston Independent School District. During her

time with HISD, she served as a clerk at Harvard Elementary, and secretary at Lanier Middle

School and Pin Oak Middle School, where she made lifelong friends.

To know Eileen was to love her. She loved to sing and had a voice that could brighten a hymn, a

country tune, or a silly song for her grandkids. Her greatest joy was making others laugh, and

she had a knack for finding humor in even the most ordinary moments.

Eileen is survived by her forever sweetheart, Harold; her son, Steven Howell (and wife, Sandy)

of Houston, Texas; and her daughter, Lynda Luttrull (and husband, Rob) of Muskogee,

Oklahoma. She was the proud and playful grandmother of Sophia Howell of Houston, and Levi

and Wren Luttrull of Muskogee, who each inherited a touch of her quick wit and boundless

curiosity.

She is also survived by her brothers, Jerry, Hank (and wife, Janie), Michael (and wife, Cathy), and

George (and wife, Barbara); her sister-in-law, Cheryl and her sisters, Connie (and companion

Charlie), Joan, and Margaret; and countless nieces, nephews, neighbors, and lifelong friends

who will miss her dearly.

She was welcomed into eternity by her parents, Fred and Connie Portele, and her brothers, Fred

and Joe — no doubt to the sound of hearty laughter and a well-tuned radio.

Eileen leaves behind a world brighter and kinder for having her in it. Her laughter will echo in

our hearts, her songs will linger in our ears, and the stories she told will be retold for

generations.

A celebration of Eileen’s wonderful, spirited life will be held May 23, 2025,10:00 am at Heights

Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to honor her memory with a good laugh, a

favorite song, or a donation in her name to Magnolia Cowboy Church

www.magnoliacowboychurch.org.

Our family would like to thank Eileen's pallbearers, Steven Howell, Rob Luttrull, Levi Luttrull, Sam Roden, Jim Roden and Michael J. Portele.

Our family won’t be quite the same without her, but her light shines on in every corner she ever

brightened.