William A Howie

William Alexander Howie, age 90, died at Hillcrest Convalescent Center on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. He was born on February 1, 1933 in Monroe, NC to the late William Allison Howie, Jr. and Flossie Harriett Lingle Howie.

Bill graduated from Walter Bickett High School in Monroe, NC in 1951. He served in the U.S. Army from May 1953 to April 1955, during the Korean Conflict, attaining the rank of Sergeant First Class. He married the love of his life, Betty Rue Johnson, on May 23, 1959, in Monroe, NC. Bill graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration – Accounting in 1961. He worked as an accountant for A.M. Pullen and Company, CPAs in Charlotte, NC until November 1968, when he took the position of controller at Triangle Brick Company in Durham, NC. He became the company’s treasurer in 1976, executive vice-president in 1984, and president from 1987 until his retirement in August 1996. He also served on the board of directors and as president, vice president, and treasurer of the Brick Association of North Carolina, and was a member of the Brick Institute of America.

Bill, Betty, and their children were members of Yates Baptist Church. Over the years he served as deacon and church teller, as well as a member on finance, house and grounds, long-range facility planning, and interim pastor search committees.

When Bill had free time, he enjoyed cheering on the Tar Heel basketball and football teams and watching NASCAR racing. In his younger years, he attended races, including a trip to Daytona. He was a private pilot, and on weekends he loved to take short flights in his Piper Cherokee that he owned for a period time. He also liked to relax by spending several hours on weekends riding his motorcycle out in the countryside.

In the early 1960s, Bill and his father-in-law built a small cottage on the Intracoastal Waterway in Sunset Beach, NC. Although the cottage was eventually sold, this was the beginning of a 50 year tradition of annual Howie family beach weeks. Even though Bill didn’t care for the sand and sun, he and Betty loved the time spent with family, which has included four generations in the last seven years. He and Betty enjoyed travelling both for business and for pleasure, here in the US and overseas, until he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Although the surgery and on-going medical treatment curtailed plans for future trips, his family is so blessed that he was such a fighter and 20-year cancer survivor.

Bill is survived by his children, Becky Howie Phelps and her husband, Chris, of Julian, NC, Alex Howie of Durham, NC, and Ed Howie and his wife, Kathryn, of San Antonio, TX. He was the proud grandfather of Caroline Phelps Hankins (Tyson), Rosemary Phelps Wheeler (John), Sarah Howie Sullivan (Austin), and Parker Howie. His four great grandchildren brought him lots of happiness. Bill was preceded in death by Betty, his beloved wife of 63 years, his parents, and his sister, Mary Lou Gamble.

A private family graveside service will be held at 1pm on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at Lakeland Memorial Park in Monroe, NC. A visitation is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday, January 7, 2024 at Yates Baptist Church in Durham, NC, followed by a memorial service to celebrate Bill’s life at 3pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Yates Baptist Church – Growing God’s House Fund at 2819 Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707.

Bill’s family would like to express their gratitude for the many acts of kindness shown to them during this time of loss, and for the loving care that was given to Bill during the last year. Jane Fellows, the July “meal team” ladies of Yates Baptist Church, the nursing staff and doctors at Duke University Hospital, and Dr. Prasad and the rehabilitation and skilled nursing staff at Hillcrest are all genuinely appreciated for their special efforts to take care of Bill, as well as the support given to his family.

The family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service.