Betty Jo Howard

Betty Jo Williams Howard died Sunday, September 22, 2013, at Clemmons Village II in Clemmons, NC. She was born July 31, 1935, in Milam County, Texas, to Ernest Garland and Osa Hamil Williams. Betty was raised in Houston, Texas where she attended school and worked after high school at Continental Insurance. She met Dan Wesley Howard, Jr. and they were married on July 30, 1954. They moved throughout the country from Houston to San Francisco, Portland, back to Houston, Essex Junction, VT, and Greensboro, NC before finally moving to Asheboro in 1971. In 2001, Betty retired as customer service manager from BB Walker Company after 30 years of service. Betty spent many years volunteering for the activities in which her children participated most especially with the Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs. She served in various roles on the district and council levels with the Old North State Council of Boy Scouts (previously known as General Greene Council) and helped with many "Scouting Recruitment Nights" at area elementary schools. For her hard work and her great dedication to the local scouting program, Betty received the Randolph District Award of Merit, the Silver Beaver Award from the General Greene Council for her contributions to the local scout program and her work as a member of the Executive Board of the Council and was recognized by her church with the St. George award for her dedication to the spiritual growth of the youth with which she worked in the Boy Scouts of America program as well as continuing and encouraging the youth at the Church of the Good Shepherd. She also served as Scoutmaster for Troop 571 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd where she was also active with the vacation bible school and Sunday school programs. After her retirement, time allowed her to volunteer at Guy B. Teachey Elementary with her grandsons' classes. As a breast cancer survivor, Betty enjoyed time spent as a volunteer with the Reach for Recovery program for breast cancer patients as well as crocheting hats and afghans for Brenner Childrens' Hospital with the Dorcas group of the church. After over 40 years of working with the Boy and Girl Scout programs and other volunteer work, Betty thrived on the one-on-one relationships she built with each child and others with whom she worked. She had a great love of children of all ages and often said "I am not just helping them to learn and grow as much as they are teaching me about life and love for our family and friends." In addition to her parents, Betty was preceded in death by her husband Dan and son Zachary Garland Howard. She is survived by a daughter Kathleen Howard Fairall of Advance, son Andrew Scott Howard and wife Joanie of Asheboro and three grandchildren, Allison Marie Fairall of Charlotte, Andrew Scott Howard, Jr. of Boone, and Michael Wesley Howard of Asheboro. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 27, 2013 at 2:00 pm at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 505 Mountain Road. Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church and other times at the home of Scott and Joanie Howard. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 505 Mountain Road, Asheboro, NC 27205 or the Old North State Council of the Boy Scouts of America, 1405 Westover Terrace, Greensboro, NC 27408. Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is serving the Howard family.