Odessa Howard

A native Texan, Odessa Bernice Howard (retired), age 86 was born March 18, 1934 in Brenham Texas. She is the fourth child of ten children born to the late Walter and Pearl Spencer. A strong believer in the power of the Lord. She has been a member of the Zion Missionary Baptist Church for 42 years, serving in various capacities. She joined under the leadership of the late Rev. J. W. Briscoe. She has been a “First Aider” since joining the church body in 1976 and served in that capacity. Until the Lord called her home, she taught Sunday School, served in the Mission Ministry, and was the President of Lydia Circle.

On May 1, 1954, Odessa Bernice Howard and the late Robert Lloyd Howard (affectingly know as Bob), was united in holy matrimony. To this blessed union four children were born, Robert Jr. (deceased), Anthony Wayne, Cynthia Ann and Michael Raynald. Having great love for each other, they renewed their vows during their silver and golden anniversaries. They celebrated their last wedding anniversary together May 1, 2011, boasting 57 years of love and happiness.

She is well traveled and has visited many places: Germany, England, Japan and Scotland just to name a few. She still loves to travel! A few of her latest adventures includes Alaska and the Holy Land in Orlando, Florida.

Education has always been important to Odessa. She graduated from Pickard High School in Brenham, Texas. Afterwards, she attended Prairie View A & M majoring in nursing. She later received a Child Development Associate Degree from Tarrant County Community College (TCCC). Upon graduating she worked in various jobs and did a lot of community and volunteer work. The last 22 years of her career she worked in the Laboratory School for Children at the Tarrant County Community College, where she was a supervising teacher for college students. While working there, she attended Dallas Baptist University and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Business Administration degree, majoring in Business and Social Services. She retired from TCCC in 1999.

Odessa humbly and gladly served the Lord and others. She was a very loving and giving person. She enjoyed working in her church! Her favorite scripture was Proverbs 3:5 & 6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Throughout her world travel, volunteer work and her professional career, her philosophy has been, “to reach out and touch others; think positive; put God first; laugh a lot; and try to make a better place for family, self, and others.”

Odessa was a good and faithful servant of the Lord and in God’s infinite wisdom; he felt it time to call her home on the early morning of February 12, 2021. She is survived her brother Roscoe Spencer and her sisters Geneva Elliot, Betty Damon, Barbara Evans and Janice Allen She leaves to cherish her memories: three children, MSgt (retired) Anthony W. Howard, (wife, Rene) San Antonio, Texas; Cynthia A. Williams-Howard Fort Worth, Texas, SMSgt (retired) Michael R. Howard (wife, Karen) Tampa, Florida; 7 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and a host other relatives and friends. Odessa, you will forever be missed!!!