Troy Lee Howard

Troy Lee Howard, of Abilene, passed away Tuesday May 16, 2017 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Monday, May 22, 2017 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene. Graveside services will be 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, May 23rd at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene. He was born July 21, 1947, to James A. and Ora Lee Howard of Macon, Georgia. He was a devoted husband to Mary E. "Beth" Howard, whom he married on May 24, 1968, at Tatnall Square Baptist Church in Macon. He is survived by his wife, his sons Lee and wife Kimberly and Benjamin, brother John, sister Martha, three grandchildren, and five nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Phil. Troy enlisted in the US Navy at the age of 17. He served as a Yeoman and Sonar Technician on the ballistic missile submarine USS George Washington Carver during the height of the cold war, patrolling the oceans and listening to sounds of mankind and nature. Upon completion of his service, he transferred to the US Navy Reserve and moved to Abilene in 1970. During and after his time in the Navy Reserve, he worked in Abilene as a carpenter, a real estate agent, an exterminator, and raised livestock on a small ranch in View. Troy accepted a commission in the Texas Army National Guard in 1978. He served as the HQ company commander of the 111th Engineer Battalion, rising to the rank of Major. He was appointed to the staff of the Adjutant General of Texas at Camp Mabry in Austin, where he assessed the readiness of Texas-based US personnel for deployment to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, and managed training directives and budgets for all reserve forces in Texas. He participated in briefings for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two Presidents. He attended the US Army Engineer School, US Army War College, and graduated from the University of Texas as a Master of Business Administration. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Abilene, MOAA, and AOPA. His hobbies included flying his airplane, hunting, and fishing.