Mrs. Mary Lois Howard

Fort Worth-Mary Lois Hall Howard, age 86, beloved mother, sister and grandmother answered her Heavenly Father's call on Sunday, February 3, 2019.PUBLIC VIEWING: 12-6 PM Friday, Feb. 8 at Gregory W. Spencer Funeral Dirs. FAMILY VISITATION: 9-10:30 AM Saturday, Feb. 9 at the funeral home. Remarks and expressions by guests welcomed. FUNERAL: 11:30 AM at The New Rising Star Baptist Church, 5000 Wichita Street, Fort Worth, Tx. 76119 with the burial on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 2:30 PM at the Veteran's Cemetery-Dallas.Mary Lois, fondly called "Sister", was born in Weldon, Houston County, Tx. near Crockett to Robert and Cambra Palm Hall and attended Vistula School in the county before graduating from Green Bay High School near Palestine, Tx. After attending Mary Allen College in Crockett, she earned a bachelor's and a master' degree both from Prairie View A&M near Houston and stopped a few hours short of a doctoral degree from Texas Woman's University in Denton in order to care for her mother. She accepted Christ as a girl at Union Grove Church in the Vistula community near Crockett and joined Pilgrim Rest Church in Palestine while in high school. After marring her husband of 45 years, Leroy Howard, she moved to Fort Worth and joined Pilgrim Valley Baptist and later Macedonia Baptist where she was a trustee, a deaconess, a culinary worker and worked with several youth groups. For the past 25 years she has been a member of The New Rising Star Baptist Church where she served on the scholarship banquet committee.Her career as an educator started at Center Grove High with the Lovelady,TX, Schools for 6 years, then 3 years at Dunbar High School in Mexia, TX, followed by 29 years with the Fort Worth ISD where she retired as an assistant principal. Throughout her career she also supported her husband and son in the family business Howard Construction, now R.D. Howard Construction.Mary Lois was a Cub Scout Den Mother, active Member of the National Women of Achievement where she held several offices, the PhiDelta Kappa Professional Sorority, a board member of the Glencrest Civic League and the Mary Allen College Alumni Association where she also held office. In 1956 she married Leroy Howard, who passed away 18 years ago, and they have two sons, Rickey(Barbara) and Randle(Isolina) four grandchildren; Rickey, II, Stephen, Randito and Camila. "Sister" also leaves a brother Archie(Claire), two sisters, Pearlie B. and M. Inez(Charles) and a host of friends and relativesShe was preceded in death by her husband, parents and her older brother Robert T. or T Boy(Narvella).