Red Howard

Asheville - Bernice Eugene Red Howard, 78, of 73 Wild Cherry Road, went to be with the Lord Thursday, June 5, 2008 at the St. Joseph Campus of Mission Hospitals. A lifelong resident of Buncombe County, he worked as a journeyman butcher with A&P Stores and was a member of Haywood Street United Methodist Church. Reds livelihood was the steel and rhythm guitars, which he loved to play for several area gospel and country groups, as well as for several Grand Ole Opry stars. He also loved to play music and yodel for his friends at the Care Partners Adult Daycare. He was the son of the late Nathan and Ollie Church Howard. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Brenda Gail Mayhew, and a brother, Nathan Whitey Howard, Jr. Surviving are his wife, Elsie Foster Howard, of the home; daughters: Sherri Lynn Clark, Gwen Davis and husband James, and Melody Howard, all of Asheville; grandchildren: Elizabeth Reece, Matthew Clark, Dwayne Justice, Jaime Gomez, Zaneta Justice, Ashley McKinney, Adam Davis, and Justin Davis; eight great-grandchildren; sisters: Juanita Orozco and Nell Shelton, both of Asheville; several nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog, Buster. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Saturday at Haywood Street United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Cecil Hayes officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 7-9 PM Friday at Anders-Rice Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to Haywood Street United Methodist Church, 297 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801, or to Care Partners Adult Daycare, 68-A Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803.