Roll Call Tribute

James Bailey Howard
October 16, 1941 - January 9, 2021

James Bailey Howard, J.D., CPA, age 79, of Flint, Texas, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2021 in Tyler. Mr. Howard was born on October 16, 1941 in Tyler to James Wylie Howard and Ardelle Bailey Howard.

He was a kind and gentle man with a corny sense of humor and an abundance of love for his family and friends. He was the only child of his father, a Railroad Engineer, and his mother, who was devoted to her son and he to her. He and his wife, Mary Franklin Howard, celebrated 42 years of loving and happy marriage in April of 2017 shortly before her passing.

He was raised in Tyler and attended Tyler High School where he graduated in 1959.
He attended Texas A&M in College Station where he was a Scholastic Officer in Accounting and graduated in 1963. He married his first wife, Karen Moller of Galveston, in 1963. After graduation, he served in the Army as a First Lieutenant and was subsequently deployed to South Korea for one year. He was in South Korea when his first child, Kirsten, was born. Upon his return, he attended the University of Texas Law School in Austin. While he was attending school and working at an accounting firm, his second child, Jana, was born. After receiving his law degree, the family moved to Dallas and Jim went to work as a tax attorney for Coopers & Lybrand. His son, Colin, was born in Dallas. By 1974, he had moved to Austin and spent the majority of his adult career as the chief financial officer of a restaurant chain.

Mr. Howard is survived by his children: Kirsten Thompson (Mike) of Aurora, CO; Jana Miner (John) of Silt, Co; and Colin Howard (Kristan) of Centennial, CO; Son-in-law: Norman Alexander of Anna, TX; grandchildren: Christopher Wesson of Denver, CO; David Wesson (Krystina) of Denver, CO; Bailey Howard of Littleton, CO; Kendall Howard of Centennial, CO; Haley Howard of Centennial, CO; Lindsay Lewis (Cole) of Anna, TX; Aaron Alexander of Anna, TX; Seth Miner of Littleton, CO; Dalton Miner of Grand Junction, CO; great-grandchildren: Tyler Wesson; Kaj Wesson; and Kadence Wesson; Rylan Alexander and Wrynley Lewis; sister-in-law: Patricia Ann McCoy of Dallas, TX; brother-in-law: Maurice Camp (Betsy) of Murrieta, CA.; nephew-in-law, Bobby McCoy (Jessica) and grandniece, Julia McCoy.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Howard; his parents; stepdaughter, Tammy Alexander and stepson, Jimmy Wren; and brother-in-law: William Arthur “Tex” Franklin of Lakeside, CA.

The family would like to thank the nurses and aides at Meadow Lake as well as his nurse from Heart to Heart Hospice for their tender care. It was obvious whenever we visited that he had made a lot of friends there and that they adored him. He always had a big smile for anyone coming in to his room as well as corny jokes.

His family will lay him to rest at Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery on January 30, 2021.

A celebration of his life will be held this summer (date TBD) in Flint, Texas.

Memorial contributions may be made to a church or organization of choice.

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