Albert Ray Howell

Mr. Albert Ray Howell, 80, retired from Textron Aerostructures and resident of Culleoka, died Monday, May 12, 2008 at Trevecca Health Care Center in Nashville. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Brother Billy Lambert, Don Lambert and Jerry Lambert officiating. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 2 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Memorial Foundation Hope Lodge, 2008 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37203. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. He was born in Mt. Pleasant, the son of the late William Elwood Howell and Lucy Dugger Howell. He attended Central High School in Nashville and retired after 44 years from Textron Aerostructures, the successor to Vultee Aircraft Corporation. He spent most of his life as a resident of Nashville and upon his retirement spent fifteen pleasant years as a cattle farmer on the family farm in Culleoka. Mr. Howell was a life-long member of the Church of Christ and attended Graymere Church of Christ. He was a member of the Maury County Cattlemans' Association. He is survived by a daughter, Sheila Ann Howell Patterson of Nashville; five nieces, Ginger Graves Laxton, Gwendolyn Graves Feinstein, both of Columbia, Patricia Howell Naron of Franklin, Dianne Howell Hill and Cathy Howell Russell both of Chapel Hill; two nephews, Ricky Howell and Billy Howell both of Chapel Hill; and several great nieces and great nephews. His extended family included a close relationship with his cousins, friends, neighbors and a very special caregiver, Greta Howell Street. He was preceded in death by one sister, Sarah Graves and two brothers, William D. Howell and Richard E. Howell. Pallbearers will be Billy Howell, Joe Hill, Charles Russell, Paul Dugger, Jr., Barry Cooper and Kevin Lasater. Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Potts, T.W. Shumate, Jr., J.C. McMahan, Ricky Howell, Harvey Naron, Steve Feinstein, Dr. Carl Mitchell, and retired employees of Aerostructures Corp.