Dates
On April 30, 2026 our beloved Howard went to be with his Lord and Savior. Howard Raymond Himmel was born October 25, 1929 to Raymond and Noma Himmel in Lorenzo, Texas. He is survived by his daughter Janice Rodriguez and husband Art; granddaughter Traci Forrest and husband Keith; granddaughter Ivanna Rodriguez; grandson James Rodriguez and wife Jenny; great granddaughter Kendall Forrest Brandt.
He married the love of his life, June, in 1950 and had 63 wonderful years together. Howard had several jobs throughout his life including working on his family dairy farm and roofing. He started painting when he was in his twenties and worked as a painter for over 50 years with Lieber Painting. Howard was somewhat of a legend in the painting world because of his keen eye for color. He was one of the few people who could mix paint by eye and always get the color perfect. He loved to tell stories about painting and was quick to point out “holidays” that he spotted. He enjoyed being outside and working in his garden on 31st Street. He loved traveling to Canyon Lake to spend time with his granddaughter Traci and grandson Keith. He would go to job sites with Keith and was always eager to offer helpful advice when needed. He would frequently provide helpful tips to the painters which amazed them being that he was in his nineties at the time. He most likely could have out painted any of them even then. He took his first plane ride to New Orleans at the young age of 85 with Janice and Art. When he was 86, he enjoyed a trip to Colorado that was extra special to him because his sister Donna was with him. Howard had a 1947 Cushman scooter when he was a teenager. When he would tell stories about his scooter his face would light up and you could see the joy in his eyes. After an extensive search that took several years, at the age of 88, he was able to purchase one that looked almost identical to the one he had except the color was orange (his original was red). He rode his scooter until the age of 94 and affectionately referred to it as the “General Lee”. The old proverb “age is just a number” applied to Howard. His mind remained sharp and his body held strong until 2 years ago when he became ill. It was decided that he would be cared for in his home until the Lord called him home. His daughter Janice and son-in-law Art assumed the role of being his caretakers.
Visitation for family and friends will be Tuesday May 5th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Harper Funeral Home. Celebration of life will be Wednesday May 6th at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel at Harper Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Keith Forrest, Ed Seward, Wes Wike, Mark Grothe, Ron Blaylock, Ronnie Blaylock and Kyle Blaylock. Special thanks to his nurses at High Plaines Hospice (Melanie, Kristi, Misty, and Britani), hospice care attendants (Julia and Stephani) and his caretaker Mark Grothe. Lord Jesus we thank you for the time that you gave us with our Daddy/Granddaddy/Unkie/Howie. We love you with all our hearts.