Warren David Howard

Warren David Howard, 91, of Amherst, Virginia died on Sunday morning, April 7, 2013. Born August 22, 1921 in Goode, Bedford County, VA, he was a son of David Royal and Mary Rives Layne Howard. He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Lorraine Dance Howard (September 18, 2012); a sister, Frances H. Turner; brothers, Louis Clayton Howard, Sr., George Eldridge Howard and Odell Everett Howard; and a daughter-in-law, Marjorie Ellen Proffitt Howard.

Warren was a “Bedford Boy” during World War ll stationed in the Asiatic Pacific, as a Coxswain “pilot” of an LSM-landing craft mechanism.

He and his wife owned and operated the Amherst and Char-Del Restaurants. He was a member of the Methodist faith, professing his belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ at an early age, and recently reaffirming this devotion. He graduated from Boonsboro High School. He was employed at Appalachian Power Company as a lineman; C&P Telephone (Bell System) and Central Virginia Telephone Co. as an installer and repairman, and retired in 1986 from Verizon with 23 years of service as a supervisor.

He was an avid bridge player, enjoyed playing eighteen holes of golf and watching baseball and basketball games and tournaments with UVA, VT and LU. He was known as a “serious and consummate gardener” and enjoyed bird hunting.

Warren is survived by a daughter, Deborah Howard Hunt and husband, Michael of Madison Heights; sons, Morgan David Howard and wife, Becky of Boonsboro ; Ralph Leon Howard, Sr. and wife Linda, of Forest; and Douglas Wayne Howard and wife, Pat of Amherst; a granddaughter, Jennifer H. Bechtel and husband, Jeffery and their two daughters, Alexis and Autumn of Forest; three grandsons, Dr. Ralph Leon “Lee” Howard, Jr. and wife, Tracy and sons Logan and Trevor of Kernersville, NC; Michael Tyler Hunt of Madison Heights, VA and Cameron Taylor Hunt of Blacksburg, VA; sisters, Virginia H. Henley of Clinton, SC, Elizabeth H. Harris of Richmond, VA, Janie H. Hamilton of Williamsburg, VA; sister-in-law Virginia A. Howard of Madison Heights, VA and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of long-standing friends.

A celebration of Warren’s life will be held Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Whitten Monelison Chapel in Madison Heights. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Entombment will follow at Briarwood Memorial Gardens with full military honors provided by American Legion Post 16.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions should consider the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 77, Bedford, VA 24523 or the Amherst Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 193, Amherst, VA 24521.