Joe “J.C.” Howard, Jr.

Joe “J.C.” Howard, Jr., 92, of Morganton, NC passed away Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Born in New Orleans, LA on May 20, 1923, he was the son of the late Joseph Charles Howard and Alice Porter Howard. J.C. graduated from Jesuit High School in 1940. He went on to attend LSU. He was called to duty and finished his college at The US Merchant Marine Academy where he received his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. He married Doris Mae Bayard in 1944. He was then called to duty where he served on the USS Adirondack. J.C. was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII and the Korean War. After his military service he worked for Commercial Union Industrial Liability Insurance Corporation as a Safety Engineer inspecting boilers and machinery for various commercial manufacturing plants. He was a member of The American Society of Safety Engineers and served as President of the Paso Del Norte Chapter in El Paso, Texas. He and his wife Doris served on the board of the St. Patrick’s Booster Club where all 5 children attended through 1976. He retired twice. The first time with Commercial Union Insurance and then went back to work for Zurich American Insurance where he retired a second and final time. His hobbies were football (He loved his LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints!) golf, fishing, stained glass and genealogy. His passion was building miniature dollhouses. He was a member of the Krewe of Mid City for Mardi Gras every year.
Mr. Howard is survived by his children, Denise Lane and her husband, Mike, of Albuquerque, NM, Leatrice McDaniel and her husband, Jeff, of Morganton, Gary Howard of Fort Worth, TX, Tina Wolfe and her husband, Hal Williams, of El Paso, TX, and Susanne Fleming and her husband, Steve, of Fort Collins, CO; eleven grandchildren, Jake Smith, Caitlin Smith, Maggie White, Kristen Prince, Soleil Howard, Stefanie German, Erich Wolfe, Paxton Wolfe, Brittany Lewis, Danielle Lewis and Josh Lewis and five great-grandchildren., Alex White, Benjamin White, Ruby White, Jackson Prince and Amariah Lewis. In addition to his parents, J.C. was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Mae Howard.
The graveside service will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, May 20, 2016 at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, NC. Military honors will be provided by the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.sossomanfh.com.