Thomas Parker Howell

HOWELL, Thomas Parker January 8, 1919 - November 13, 2011 Thomas Parker Howell was born to an English father and an Irish mother on January 8, 1919 in Ventura, California. His early years were spent on the Howell-Mason orange ranch in Ojai. His sister, Sylvia was born in 1924 and the family relocated to Santa Barbara before the big earthquake in 1925. He attended local schools and was a proud supporter of the Santa Barbara High School Dons, holding season tickets for the high school football games for many years. Tommy enlisted in the U.S Navy on his 23rd birthday, one month and one day after the Pearl Harbor bombing. He served as a torpedo man's mate in the Aleutian Islands and Whidbey Island, Washington. His Navy buddy, Dick Rockwell, remained a lifelong friend. He was employed by Devereux school as a driver and attendant for special needs children. He met the love of his life, Norma Caudera at the Rollercade while roller skating and the family joke is that "they had been going around ever since!" They were married at St. Boniface church in San Francisco in 1947 and celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on August 31, 2011. Shortly after his marriage to Norma, he began work in the wholesale produce department at Jordano's Inc. He was transferred to their wholesale beverage division, Pacific Beverage Company, where he worked as a driver-salesman, and then as the warehouseman until his retirement in 1980. Tommy's avocation in life was his family. Tommy and Norma had their first child, Mark, in 1950, and their daughter, Cathy, in 1955. Tommy and Norma rented a tiny home from Tommy's father on San Andres Street and saved money to purchase a new home in San Roque Gardens. Tommy saw little need for Norma's family to remain in their small rental on Placida Place and he asked his mother-in-law, Madeline Caudera, his sister-in-law, Catherine, and his brother-in-law Chuck, to join them in 1951. Chuck and Catherine gradually left that home to begin their own families, but Madeline remained in Tommy and Norma's care until her death in 1994. Madeline was Tommy's most ardent fan, and he adored her as the most loving mother figure in his life. Tommy was closely involved with his children's activities and could always be found on the sidelines of his daughter's softball games and martial art practices, or at his son's rock and roll performances with the locally famous garage band, The Duquanes. He and the late Jack Westfall served as managers for the band in the band's early years and both fathers impressed the values of timeliness, responsibility, and courtesy on their young charges, thus guaranteeing the band many return engagements for dances and concerts. Tommy was seen at the Waterfront Grill every summer during Fiesta when the aging Duquanes dusted off their instruments, tuned up their voices, and played two nights of blazing 60's rock and roll. Tommy was their ultimate fan, and he began dreaming of the next year's engagement the minute the band cleared the stage. Tommy was surrounded by family on the weekend that he died. Favorite neighbors, who Tommy considered to be as close as family, stopped by for a visit on the day he died and managed to draw out a big smile and twinkling blue eyes in response to their voices. He died peacefully with his son's hand on his chest. His last breath never came. It was surely carried on angels' wings to fill the lungs of his new great-grandson, Maverick Thomas Smith, born eighteen hours after his death. May the angels in heaven welcome him to the sound of his favorite Duquane melodies, California Dreamin' and Nowhere Man. Tommy leaves behind his loving wife, Norma; sister, Sylvia LeMere, children, Mark Howell (Carol), and Cathy Howell (Heather); sister-in-law, Catherine Frustere (Henry); honorary sons, Alex Pawlowski, Steven Myers, and Kim Westfall; grandchildren Andrew Parker Howell, and Amanda Lynne Smith (Brian), and great-grandchildren Kaylee Noel Smith and Maverick Thomas Smith. Services will be private. Tommy was a supporter of diabetes care and research in memory of his friend, Jack Westfall, and in honor of his grandson, Andrew Howell. The family asks that any donations be made in Tommy's name to: Sansum Clinic Endocrinology Department c/o Philanthropy Department P.O. Box 1200 Santa Barbara, CA, 93102-1200