Gloria Howard

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GLORIA HOWARD

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Gloria Howard, 81, of Waco, Texas passed away on February 6, 2024 peacefully at her home of natural causes.

Gloria was born in Kerens, TX to J.P. Fletcher and Ruby Combs. She graduated from University High School in 1961. After graduating, she married her high school sweetheart Charles “Chuck” Howard in June of 1961. Chuck and Gloria were married for 54 years before his passing in 2015. They were the proud parents of three boys.

Gloria joined the workforce in her early thirties, where she worked at Cox’s Department Store for five years. She then went to work for Community Bank on 18th St. and Washington St. where she remained for a little over thirty years, retiring in 2011. Through the years, Gloria was an avid bowler for more than twenty-five years, going to many bowling tournaments all over the United States. She also traveled to different states and countries with friends, to places like Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Germany, Ireland, Holland, and Rome where she was able to see the pope at the Vatican and get her rings and necklace blessed by him.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Howard; father, J.P. Fletcher; mother, Ruby Combs; stepmother, Anne Fletcher; sisters, Shirley Thomas, Ruby Simpson, and Kathy Stockton; and brother, Jimmy Fletcher.

She is survived by her sister, Sherry Robertson and husband, Danny of Bryan; sister-in-law, Janice Howard of Waco; brother-in-law, Jimmy Howard of Austin; sons, James Howard and wife, Christi of Waco, Tommy Howard and wife, Debbie of Waco, and Greg Howard and wife, Dawn of Hutto; and daughter-in-law, Cathy Howard of Waco. Gloria was a grandmother to Johnny Harris, Scott Howard, Mike Howard, Lauren Howard, Kayla Howard, and Maddie Howard. She was a great grandmother to Hailee Howard, Makenna Howard, Ava Lou McNabb, Chloe Fletcher, Jax Fletcher, Abel Fletcher, Gracie Miller, and Autumn Hicks. She had one great-great granddaughter, Rynlee Renee Thorne. Gloria was also blessed with many, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Pallbearers will be James Howard, Tommy Howard, Greg Howard, Scott Howard, and Jamie Boswell.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Amedisys Hospice for the excellent care they provided during such an emotional and heartbreaking time. It was only a short time that Hospice was there but they made the most unpleasant time in our lives a lot more bearable.