C. B. HOWARD

ADA-Services for C. B. Howard, 89, Ada, are 2:00 p.m .Thursday at the Southwest Church of Christ, Floyd Kaiser will officiate. Burial will follow at Rosedale Cemetery.

Mr. Howard died Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at his home. He was born July 4, 1918 at Konawa, Oklahoma to William Ray and Maude Elizabeth Fullerton Howard. He graduated from Konawa High School and attended Southern Methodist University and Sunset Business School in Dallas. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Aviation Technicians and various banking schools.

He married Frances O'Neal on April 7, 1940 at Konawa, Oklahoma, and worked at North American Aircraft in Dallas during World War II. He worked at B. F. Goodrich in Ada from 1947-1951 before joining the First National Bank. Mr. Howard spent much of his time in economic development for Ada, and was active in recruiting numerous industries while serving as president of the Ada Industrial Development Corporation. He was presented an award as Economic Development Citizen of the Year 2001 for the state of Oklahoma and has received many awards in various fields for his efforts for more than 50 years. He began working for the First National Bank and Trust Company of Ada (now Vision Bank) on July 5, 1951. He started as proof operator, and advanced through the various banking positions to president and chairman of the board. The Ada Area Chamber of Commerce presented him a lifetime achievement award in 2000 for his service to the Ada community. The chamber also selected him chamber leader of the decade in 1990. He was a charter member and the first chairman of the Ada Housing Authority. He served on that board 42 years. He was a member of the AIDC board for 40 years and was president from 1982-2007. His involvement resulted in the employment of hundreds of people in the Ada area. He was instrumental in encouraging the Chickasaw Nation to locate its headquarters in Ada. He was former president of the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Ada Jobs Foundation. He was a former president of the Kiwanis Club and chairman of the United Way and Red Cross. He was active in the March of Dimes and Boys Scouts and served on the Pontotoc County Mental Health board, and was active in the campaign to establish a vo-tech school in Ada. Mr. Howard was instrumental in the Wintersmith Amphitheater project, and helped launch the Wintersmith Park Christmas Lighting Project. He was a member of Oak Hills Golf and Country Club and Primetimers, and a member of the Oklahoma Banking Association's board of directors. He was a long time member of Southwest Church of Christ.

Survivors include his wife, Frances Howard, of the home; one son, Mike Howard and wife Pat, Gulf Shores, Alabama; three grandsons, Rick Howard and wife Jenny, Shanghai, China, John Howard and wife Kirsten, Atlanta, Georgia, and Bill Howard, Gulf Shores, Alabama; and one sister, Betty Roach, Houston, Texas.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Virgil R. Howard and Moscow Howard; and two sisters, Bertha Mae Edison and Balta Lee Philpott.

Bearers will be John Howard, Bill Howard, H. A. Blackburn, Jim Hamby, Roy Hanson, Bruce James, Henry Katz, and Reese Scott. Honorary bearers will be Rick Howard, Bill Anoatubby, Ron Adam, Marvin Barnes, Dexter Pruitt, and members of the Board of Directors of Vision Bank.

Criswell Funeral Home, Ada