Henry W. Howze

Obituary Henry Wilson Howze was born to Bessie Mae Myrick and King Howze on December 8, 1942 in Birmingham, Alabama.  He accepted God at a very early age and remained a believer throughout his life. Henry received his early education through the Montgomery Public School System graduating from George Washington Carver High School in 1961. Growing up at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Henry joined in the protests rocking his city. After graduating from Stillman College in 1965, with a degree in History and Political Science, he continued to serve his country as a member of the United States Army. Henry served from 1963 to 1969 during the Vietnam Conflict and was honorably discharged. Henry married and divorced twice at a relatively young age: first to Emma Forte and then to Miranda Richardson. In 1976, Henry's life changed forever with the birth of his only child, Brian M. Howze, with his then partner Cordelia “Dee Dee” Stroman. A founding father of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity chapter at Stillman College, Henry continued to support the efforts and mission of his college and fraternity until his death. After moving to Washington, DC in 1970, Henry held various management positions within three departments in the District of Columbia government. He specialized in housing code enforcement in the areas of lead based paint deterioration and childhood lead poisoning. Henry also worked to preserve housing options for families with low to moderate incomes. He served in this capacity for more than thirty-three years until his retirement in 2005. Henry transitioned on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. He will be met on the other side of the light by his mother Bessie Mae Howze, his father King Howze, and his two brothers T.J. Jones and Nathaniel Jones. Henry leaves to cherish his memory his beloved son Brian M. Howze of Temple Hills, Maryland; two sisters, Mavis “Tiny” J. Armstrong of Montgomery, Alabama and Edith “Sweet Pea” H. Scott (John) of Demopolis, Alabama; his favorite niece, Linda J. Robinson (Thomas) of Atlanta, Georgia; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends whom he loved dearly. Henry’s hobbies included going to casinos, listening to ALL genres of music and being a snappy dresser. He  will be sorely missed. Our world will never be the same because he is no longer here to encourage, affirm and lift us up.