| Graduation Year | Class of 1929 |
| Date of Passing | Apr 07, 2005 |
| About | Gilbert H. Howard, 94, of Corsicana passed away peacefully early Thursday morning, April 7, 2005 at the Navarro Regional Hospital. Mr. Howard was born December 10, 1910 in Taunton, MA. He graduated from Bourne High School and held a certification as a Senior Engineering Technician. He provided 34 years of faithful service to the United States Government as a Civil Engineering Technician in the Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Twenty-seven of those years were served on the Cape Cod Canal where he was responsible for maintaining critical depths in order that large ships could navigate the Canal. The service he provided was especially crucial during World War II to keep our ships from being attacked during this critical time. He retired from the U.S. Army Engineer District of Omaha on December 10, 1965 where he worked on flood control. As a child, Mr. Howard, was raised on Thatcher's Island Lighthouse located off Rockport, MA and later Wing's Neck Lighthouse on Buzzard's Bay. His father was a lighthouse keeper during this time and his grandfather and great-grandfather were also lighthouse keepers. Mr. Howard always thrilled his friends and associates with many stories and tales with his life on the lighthouses. Mr. Howard was preceded in death by wives Elizabeth Jane (Betty) Luscombe Howard, Mildred A. Langenfeld Howard and Elizabeth (Liz) Mueller Howard and two brothers, Roger A. Howard and Rodney Howard. He is the 11th generation from Stephen Hopkins whom came to America on the Mayflower and is a member of the Society of Mayflower Decendents. He was cremated and a private memorial service was held. His remains were buried in a family plot out of state. At the request of Mr. Howard, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the educational fund at St. John's Episcopal Church, Corsicana, or the charity of your choice. |
