Howard C. Hewett, Jr. was born on December 21, 1939 to Helen Roebuck Hewett and Howard Curtis Hewett, Sr. in Wilmington, North Carolina. He died on Monday, October 9, 2017, while traveling in Vermont with his wife of 50 years, Patsy Edwards Hewett. Howard's family moved to Freeport, Texas, in the 1950s, when the Ethel Dow plant in Wilmington, N.C., closed and Texas Operations of Dow Chemical, U.S.A., was expanding. Howard graduated from Brazosport High School in 1958 and attended Texas Lutheran College. He enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1962 and served until 1966. He arrived onboard the U.S.S. Beale DD471 just as the fleet was assigned to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Returning home from his service, he dated Patsy Edwards, a Brazosport High School art teacher. They married August 13, 1967. In 1966, Dow Chemical hired Howard as a mechanical specialist in the research department. His career at Dow covered a number of interesting assignments. He worked in the areas of research, operations, maintenance, safety, technical training and corporate leadership training. His last assignment before retiring in 1995 was serving on the management team charged with building an ethylene plant in Oyster Creek. Howard took full advantage of retirement and actively pursued his favorite pastimes: carving duck decoys, working in his woodshop, hunting, and photographing lighthouses. Wherever Howard went, you would find a yellow lab close by. His last three canine companions Max, Sam and Bud relished in his generous attention. As a lifelong member of the Methodist Church, Howard was very proud when his daughter Laura was ordained as a United Methodist minister. To honor the lifelong family commitment to Methodism, he gave Laura a gift of a stole made from ties that belonged to him and his father. Howard's time in the Navy developedhis interest in travel and he often wanted to share places he had visited with those that he loved. He and Patsy traveled to Vermont numerous times - always in October - to take in the spectacular scenery as summer turned to fall, temperatures dropped and the leaves turned. They enjoyed these trips so much that when each of their three daughters graduated from college, Howard and Patsy celebrated their accomplishment with a special trip to Vermont. On August 13, 2017, Howard and Patsy celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary and planned a celebratory trip to this special place. He is preceded in death by his parents, infant sister Reba Gray Hewett, his beloved uncle "Bubba" Bradley R. Roebuck and his brother-in-law Ron Brewer. He is survived by his wife Patsy Edwards Hewett, brother Tom Hewett and wife Sally, sister Jackie Brewer, daughters Georgianne Hewett, the Rev. Laura Hewett Becker and husband William, Ashley Hewett O'Rourke and husband Joe, grandchildren Will Becker and wife Breezalynn, Michael Becker, Madison O'Rourke, Mackenzie O'Rourke, and Christen Kate Becker, great-grandchildren Aubree and Harmony Becker, and godchildren Jacob Sizemore, Erin Sizemore Cravey, and Nathan Sizemore, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends. Howard will be remembered as an anchor in the life of his family. He was faithful to God, family and country. He dearly loved Patsy and his daughters and was very proud of them and their accomplishments. He took extraordinary care of his family, but also made certain that they were able to take the wheel when needed.

Sail home, Old Salt.

A Visitation will be held on Friday, October 13 from 5-7 p.m. at Lakewood Funeral Chapel, 98 Dixie Drive, Lake Jackson, Texas. A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held 3 p.m. Saturday, October 14, at First United Methodist Church of Lake Jackson, 404 Azalea St., Lake Jackson, Texas. A reception for family and friends will follow in the Fellowship Hall. A private internment will take place at a later date at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made to the Hewett Endowment Fund, which benefits ministerial and theological continuing education for women clergy in care of Texas Methodist Foundation, 11709 Boulder Lane, #100, Austin, TX 78726, First United Methodist Church of Lake Jackson, or Wounded Warriors.

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