Thomas "Tommy" Howard

Thomas “Tommy” Lee Howard, 68, passed away suddenly on Sunday, January 8th in Houston, TX.

Tommy was born in Houston, Texas on April 16, 1954. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Cherri Howard; daughters Megan Woodling (Steve) and Emily Howard; brothers Louis Howard (Donna), Harvey Howard (Liz), Kenny Howard (Susan), Scott Howard (Julie); sister Donna Hutchins (Tom); and grandchildren Kayla, Kory, Karly, Kinly, and Andrea Woodling. Tommy is preceded in death by his parents, Louis Howard and Betty Sengelman, and his beloved son, Thomas Andrew Howard.

Family was everything to Tommy, and to his numerous nieces, nephews, grandkids, and extended family he was known affectionately as “Pawpaw”, “Papa T” or “Uncle T”. Tommy loved to make all around him laugh and was always the life of the party with a joke or a tall tale. He could fix, build or “MacGyver” anything, and if you needed help, he was always willing to lend a hand. Tommy was ever the adventurer and held a deep passion for the outdoors. As such, he reveled in camping, traveling, hunting or any activity that took him outside. His deep-rooted love for fishing the Texas coastline would prompt him to purchase a weekend place in Sargent Texas, where he and Cherri had planned to spend time with family and friends. He was always willing to expose someone new to the art of salt-water angling and would extend the invitation to anyone willing to go out on the water with him. Tommy was a successful business owner in the metal building industry for many years and would eventually retire from a major building manufacturer in 2019.

Tommy was loved dearly by his wife, children, and everyone who knew him, and he loved all of them right back. His humor, laughter and loving nature will be sorely missed.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 14, 2023, in the chapel of C.T. Baker & Sons Funeral Home, 634 S. Columbia Dr., West Columbia, Texas. After the service, all are invited to a celebration of life gathering at Columbia Heritage Hall, 508 E. Bernard St., West Columbia, Texas.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning prior to the services.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to the Andrew Howard Memorial Scholarship Fund at Prosperity Bank, West Columbia, TX (979) 345-3141.