Larry C. Howard

Larry Howard, age 75, passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2021 after two years fighting cancer. Born in Merkel to Nadine and Henry Howard during the baby boom of 1946, Larry grew up in the rural west Texas town feeling supported throughout his formative years by his local Baptist church community. Larry was the 1964 valedictorian of Merkel high school, and he went on to Texas Tech University where he graduated with a BS in Mathematics in 1968. While in high school and college, Larry participated in band and church groups, and he shared many fond stories about his experiences.

By 1969, Larrys initial aspirations of working at a place like NASA gave way to the tug and call of ministry, and he left Texas for a Baptist mission program in campus ministry at the University of Evansville in Indiana. It was there that he met Mary, a member of the Methodist student movement and the daughter of a Methodist minister. Married in 1970 at Neu Chapel in Evansville, Larry and Mary moved to Kentucky for Larry to complete his Masters of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

By 1974, Larry and Mary, along with their first daughter, Melody, had left the Midwest and returned home to Texas where they lived in San Angelo and began attending St. Lukes United Methodist Church. With the support and guidance of Methodist pastor mentors, Larry accepted the role of youth minister at First United Methodist Church in San Angelo, and fully immersed himself in supporting the congregation. It was here that he first embraced his calling as a Methodist pastor in the Rio Texas Conference, then called the Southwest Texas Conference of the Methodist church.

Larry and Marys first church appointment was to Water Valley and Sterling City, where their second daughter, Robin, was born. Over the next twenty years, Larry and Mary made moves across Texas to serve Northern Hills UMC in San Antonio, FUMC in Corpus Christi, FUMC in Del Rio, and Manchaca UMC in Austin. In 2004, Larry returned to FUMC in San Angelo to serve as the senior pastor; then, he and Mary moved to the valley, where Larry was the District Superintendent for the Harlingen/McAllen area.

Throughout their ministry, Larry and Mary met many wonderful peoplecolleagues, parishioners, friends. Larry had high standards of himself and others; he took seriously the duties of a conscientious pastor and believed that pastoral care was at the heart of ministry. To him, Love and Justice were important facets of God and the church. It was these views, coupled with Intellect and Faith, that he strove to carry forth in his work and his life. Larry supported his daughters in their education and careers, and considered their husbands, Steven and Philip, to be his sons. Larry celebrated the relationship with his only grandson, Taran, and was an avid supporter of Tarans school activities. Larry regularly attended football games to watch Taran in the band, and even as his health declined, Larry made sure to attend Tarans Eagle Scout ceremony, high school awards night, and graduation.

Larrys hobbies reflected his thoughtful and careful personality. He had enjoyed stamp collecting and model trains since he was a boy, with his most recent train layout modeling the Santa Fe and Union Pacific junction in Vaughn, New Mexico. His adulthood saw him take a keen interest in genealogy, and he had deeply researched both his own family line as well as Marys. Larry and Mary found joy in traveling throughout their marriage. Even when money was tight in the early years, they set aside time for vacations together. Larry loved roller coasters and music, so amusement parks like Six Flags and Disney World were initial favorites. In addition, they particularly enjoyed the many National Parks, and planned their 50th Wedding Anniversary to be spent in Yellowstone with their daughters, sons-in-law, and grandson. Postponed for a year due to the pandemic, the Yellowstone trip became an especially important goal for Larry during his struggle with cancer. In July 2021, the family was able to celebrate the 51st Anniversary of Larry and Mary, together in Yellowstone.

Larry is survived by his wife of fifty-one years, Mary Robinson Howard; daughter Melody Howard Verm and her husband Steven; daughter Robin Howard Dasler and her husband Philip; grandson Taran Verm; and sister and brother-in-law Suzanne and Jerry Brooks.

MEMORIAL SERVICE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2021 10:30 AM LAUREL HEIGHTS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 227 WOODLAWN AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212

GRAVESIDE SERVICE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021 3:00 PM ROSE HILL CEMETERY N 2nd St, Merkel, TX 79536

Please click here to view the Livestream of Larrys service at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 23, 2021.