Thomas Rowand Howell,

Thomas R. Howell was born in Nebraska in 1920, with verifiable roots extending back to the American Revolution and beyond. The Great Depression fragmented the family with Tom and his younger brothers Paul and Ward spending their youth with their father in Santa Fe on an aunt’s homestead. His love for northern New Mexico and the durableness of those who lived there were permanent attributes. The three boys and their father rejoined their mother in El Paso in 1938. Tom took various scarce jobs such as ushering at downtown movie theaters and jerking sodas at the drug store, yet furthering his understanding of independent business skills. The morning after Pearl Harbor Tom was in line at the Navy recruiting station. He was assigned duty as a navigator-gunner on long-range planes searching the Atlantic Ocean for enemy submarines. While in the Navy, he was stationed in the Bermuda Islands. It was there that he met his wife to be, Eleanor. They were married for 65 years. In 1950 Tom started a simple fix-anything shop on Piedras St., which evolved into Howell Electronics, still located in the historic Five Points area of El Paso. Ever since, he has been admired by everyone who ever met him as the gold standard for honesty and truthfulness, as a Mason, and being appointed to various civic boards and other honoraria through his lifetime. If one word were required to sum up Tom Howell, it would be “integrity”. He is survived by his wife Eleanor, Tom R. Howell, Jr. and wife Nancy, Stephen L. Howell, J. Eldon Howell and wife Lorene, grandchildren Tom D. Howell, Matthew D. Howell, James M. Howell, Riann Lackey, Sherrill Bunch and great grandson Cody Bunch. Graveside Service will be held at 2:30 pm, Friday, February 5, 2010 at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery coordinated by Sunset Funeral Home on Resler in El Paso. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the National Cancer Society or a charity of personal choice. Please visit our online register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net