Cecil Paul Howse

Cecil Paul Howse died August 2, 2018 in Westminster Oaks Assisted Living facility in Tallahassee, Florida from cancer at age 89. Paul as he was known, was a twenty-year resident of Tallahassee after retiring to Florida from Memphis, Tennessee.

Howse was married to Mildred “Boots” Dickinson, of Tallahassee for 19 years. He leaves one daughter Paula Amagliani (Gene) of Memphis, Tennessee and a son, Forrest Howse (Janice) of Bluffton, South Carolina, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth Howse, and his parents.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Oaks in the Maguire Center on Sunday, August 5, 2018. The family will receive guests beginning at 11:00 AM and the service will follow at 11:30 AM. Following the service there will be a short reception with refreshments in the atrium of the center.

Paul was born in Humboldt, Tennessee, graduated from Humboldt High School and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama. He also attended Memphis State University and studied law. He was a Captain in the Quartermaster Corps of the Army before beginning his career as a credit analyst at Sears Roebuck in Memphis.

He later co-owned and was CFO of the Shop of John Simmons gift stores which at its peak had 50 franchises across the south and mid-Atlantic. In the 1980’s, Paul was at the forefront of bringing a taste of French baked goods to Memphis when he and Ruth bought a controlling share in La Baguette French Bread and Pastry Shop. The bakery became a popular staple of the Memphis food scene and remains that way to this day.

He served as President of the Exchange Club of East Memphis and was Chairman of the Board of Deacons of First Baptist Church in Memphis. He loved doubles tennis and good game of bridge.

He will be remembered as mentor to many and a comic to his grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to the Run for Lawson (www.runforlawson.org) 4223 Capital Circle NW Tallahassee, Florida 32303.