Ralph J. Howell

Ralph Joseph Howell, 99, passed away peacefully at home in Clearwater, Florida on April 2, 2026. He was born on October 12, 1926, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Roy A. and Irene J. Howell. He worked for a while at the railroad roundhouse as a teen but growing up, he had always wanted to be in the United States Navy. With his mother’s approval, Ralph enlisted to serve in the Navy in World War II in May 1944; he was just 17 years old. By November 1944, he was received on board the USS LST 801 where he lived for the next two years of his life. He often said the LST was simply “his home” for that time. He started out on the LST at the rank of seaman and after some training and passing exams he was promoted to the rank of motor machinist mate 1st class and was assigned to work in the LST engine room. As part of the crew of the USS LST 801, Ralph served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of World War II and took part in the Battle of Okinawa, carrying troops and tanks from the Army’s 77th Infantry Division for the battle.

Ralph enjoyed sharing stories from his time in the Navy and two of his favorite often-told memories were when he met up with his brother in Okinawa and riding out a typhoon on the LST. Ralph’s brother, Roy, was in the US Army Air Forces and was assigned to the Okinawa Mountain Airfield. After the main fighting but before the entire island was cleared of the Japanese enemy, Ralph knew that his brother was up the mountain, so he decided to walk up the mountain by himself to go visit him. Roy expressed his shock at seeing Ralph, questioning how he made it up there. Roy shared that his commanding officer had just been killed on that same road by enemy fire just the other day. Ralph replied, “I just walked!” Needless to say, after their visit together, Ralph was escorted back to his LST by a combat ready security detail. Another time, they were underway when they had to go through a typhoon. He would tell us how the LST, with its flat keel and maximum speed of only 11.6 knots (13.3 mph!) made it through the storm: riding the waves, going straight up vertically while looking directly into the sky, then back down again. He said that despite their engines going at full throttle they never made any forward progress and were practically stationary at sea for a couple of days!

Once Ralph’s service in the war was over, he was anxious to get back home to Indianapolis where the love of his life was waiting for him. Ralph had met Betty J. Willis when he was 16 and she was 13 at Vawter Cleaners, where she was filling in for her mother as a clerk during summer vacation. After a long, grueling journey back home, Ralph asked Betty to be his wife, and they were married on February 15, 1947, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Indianapolis. They went on to have three sons together and were married for 68 years before Betty’s death in July 2015.

When Ralph returned from war, he went back to working for the railroad briefly, then left there to become a telephone lineman for Indiana Bell Telephone Company, where he worked for many years. He was always a hard worker his whole life and if there was ever overtime offered, he took it. No matter how cold, wet, snowy, icy, or bad the weather could be, Ralph was the one volunteering to climb the telephone poles and see to fixing whatever the problem was. Just like in the Navy when opportunities were offered for education and promotion, Ralph jumped at the chance for advancement for himself and his family, becoming a 2nd line supervisor overseeing several repairmen working under his leadership. Eventually, an opportunity arose through a family friend for Ralph to own his own business, and while still working at the phone company, he bought a coin-operated car wash. He ran the car wash business as a second job for approximately three or four years, and that helped to take Ralph and his family onto their next adventure.

The Burger Chef fast food restaurant chain had its corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, and Ralph’s eldest son, Michael, worked as a manager at a local store. When they became aware of a chance for them to buy a Burger Chef franchise in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, Ralph made the decision to sell the carwash, leave the phone company after over 20 years of employment, and start a new career in a whole new industry at the age of 44. In January of 1971 in the middle of a blizzard, Ralph and Betty moved with their sons and their son’s family with their 11-month-old granddaughter in tow to begin their new life in sunny Florida. They opened three Burger Chef restaurant locations, family-owned and operated under Howell’s Fast Food Franchise. After selling one location early on, Ralph and his family continued to run the remaining two stores until General Foods Corporation sold the Burger Chef subsidiary to Hardees in 1982.

After the Burger Chef stores were gone, Ralph began yet another new career, this time in the pest control industry. Florida Termite and Pest Control was located behind one of the Burger Chef locations, and its owner and employees frequented the restaurant. When the restaurant closed, the owner offered Ralph employment as a pest control technician. Rentokil, Inc. ended up buying Florida Termite and Ralph worked for Rentokil until his retirement.

In his retirement years, Ralph enjoyed driving his car on road trips, planning every trip out for weeks ahead of time using his trusty, well-used road atlas, whether it was cross-country trips to Las Vegas to visit his brother or driving down to visit close friends from Indiana in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ralph and Betty also went on cruises and enjoyed playing cards with friends and family. He was a big football fan and especially rooted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He also enjoyed keeping up with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Indy 500 race every year.

Ralph was the family’s leader and greatest cheerleader in everything that any of us did. We will all greatly miss his guidance, advice, encouragement, praise, and the love and laughter that he brought to every family gathering.

Ralph was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Betty J. Howell; his sons, Michael P. Howell and Timothy J. Howell; his parents, Roy A. Howell and Irene J. Howell (née Dobson); his sister, Mary Jane Howell, and his brother, Roy J. Howell.

Ralph is survived by his son, Robert J. Howell (Frances); daughter-in-law, Margaret J. Howell; sister, Beverly R. Thompson (John); grandchildren, Julie Grammatica (Richard), Jodi Sprague (Paul), Joann Correira, April Sopczak (Anthony), Michelle Ford (Dave), and Ryan Howell (Shannon); great grandchildren, Kyle Grammatica (Giselle), Katie Grammatica, Olivia and Evelyn Sprague, Isabella and Avery Correira, Bryan and Simon Sopczak, and Grace and Layla Ford.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 10:30 AM at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, 2405 Philippe Pkwy, Safety Harbor, FL 34695. The Committal with Military Honors will follow at 12:30 PM at Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd, Bay Pines, FL 33744. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to please consider making a donation to Macular Degeneration Association.

( https://macularhope.org/ )

Kind condolences may be offered in our "Add a Memory" section below.