Howard Spencer Hoover, Jr.

Howard Spencer Hoover, Jr. passed away on Monday, the 5th of November 2018, after a brief yet valiant battle with esophageal cancer at Houston’s Methodist Hospital. In 2013, Howard received the gift of life through a successful liver transplant at Houston’s Methodist through the extraordinary care of the JC Walter Transplant Center’s team of Doctors Ghobrial, Gaber, Sahairi, Mansour and Victor.

Howard was born in Houston on the 11th of October 1938, to Lillian England and Howard S. Hoover, Sr. and attended Roberts Elementary, Lanier Middle School and graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in 1956. He is also a graduate of Southern Methodist University (BBA 1961) where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Howard married first wife Nancy Jean Margraves in 1958 and together they completed their undergraduate educations at SMU and then moved to Austin for three years where Howard completed his law school days at The University of Texas School of Law (JD 1963) where he was President of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.

As a young attorney, Howard began his legal career under the tutelage of his father, Howard S. Hoover, Sr. at Murfee & Hoover now known as Hoover Slovacek, LLP. Moving onto Texas Eastern Corporation in 1965-70, Howard was a division attorney for the natural gas and liquids marketing subsidiary where he participated in all legal areas of the retail and wholesale marketing of propane to rural and suburban customers in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. In 1970, Howard joined Tom Fatjo, Sr. and his partners in the solid waste industry at Browning-Ferris Industries as their chief legal counsel. Over the course of his 25+ year career with BFI, Mr. Hoover served as Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel as well as a member of the Senior Management Committee and of the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors. In the 1990s, he worked as an independent business and legal consultant to Arthur Andersen Houston and helped roll out its environmental consulting practice. In the late 1990s, Mr. Hoover was Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board for American Residential Services. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas (Director, 1982-85 4th District Place 6) along with his father, Howard S. Hoover, Sr. — a rare distinction for a son and father to serve together; Houston Bar Association; Life Fellow Texas Bar Foundation; Houston Bar Foundation; Honorary Lifetime Member, Board of Directors of Boys and Girls Country of Houston; Founding Member of Houston Police Foundation; Lifetime Member, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (RodeoHouston); HLS&R Committees: World’s Champion Barbecue Contest, Junior Rodeo and Wine Competition; Lakewood Yacht Club and Houston Country Club.

We will miss Howard’s warmth, ready smile, wise counsel and quick wit. Howard was a loving husband to Janet for 40 beautiful years; a devoted father to Elizabeth & Michael; fun loving grandfather to Mac, Nina, Ellie & Kate; uncle to Laura & James; friend and mentor to younger lawyers as well as to many younger committeemen with RodeoHouston. In the digital age, Howard’s four grandchildren abbreviated his grandfather moniker “Granddaddy” into Gddy. Gddy loved it all and strove to stay current on digital communication advancements, apps, etc. so he could stay in close contact with friends and family. Political and blonde jokes were among his favorites to pass along and if you were “lucky” enough to be on Howard’s distribution lists, your crowded inbox reflected his devotion to expressing his opinions on various topics. We will miss Gddy’s texts, warning of hazardous or beautiful weather forecasts. Also known as “The Hoove,” Howard was one of a kind.

Howard is predeceased by his parents, Lillian England and Howard Spencer Hoover, Sr.; his younger brother, James England Hoover and by his son, Michael Drennan Hoover. Mr. Hoover is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 40 years, Janet Lee Brenner Hoover; by his daughter, Elizabeth England Hoover Rotan and husband Matthew Padgitt Rotan and their children: Edward McCall Rotan (Mac), Nina England Rotan, Elizabeth Sterling Rotan (Ellie) and Katherine Ross Rotan (Kate). He is also survived by his sister Margaret Hoover Perkins and her husband Jim Perkins of Tyler, Texas and by their children James Irvine Perkins III of Conroe & Houston and Laura Perkins Fonville and husband Jerry Fonville and his son Tanner of Dallas, Texas. Howard also leaves behind his lifelong friend & brother in law Ross D. Margraves Jr. and wife Madeline as well as wonderful in law, Liney Rotan and her two younger sons, Douglas McCall Rotan and wife Margaret and their children Patricia, Mary Margaret and Douglas and Clayton Ross Rotan and wife Kendall and their daughters Hunter and Logan; brother in law Robert Brenner; sister in law Susie Smith; cousins Milton England Black, Sr. and wife Bess and their children Milton England Black, Jr. and wife Elizabeth; Kirby Stewart Black and girlfriend Andrea Dickerson and Stewart Courtland Black and wife Kim; Susan Black Gross and husband Richard and their children, Richard Gross and wife Lori; Susan Reedy and husband Robert; and Allison Wallace and husband John.

The memorial service is to be conducted at one o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 9th of November, at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., Rector, and The Rev. Martin J. Bastian, Vice-Rector, and are to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Boys and Girls Country of Houston, 18806 Roberts Road, Hockley TX 77447 (https://www.boysandgirlscountry.org/contact-us/); or to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston TX 77056.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8