Obituary of Mary Jo Howell

Mary Jo Howell (Chambers) October 30, 1931 - November 22, 2013 Mary Jo "Verna" Chambers was born in Lee County, Kentucky October 30, 1931 to Sam and Edith Chambers. She was the eldest of four children. Raised in the hills of Kentucky, she often told stories of the simple life of growing up in the Chambers family in Appalachia, recalling Christmas presents of a piece of ribbon for her hair and one year a fresh apple. She saw the coming of age - including riding horse-drawn wagons to town, the installing of electricity in the home, and the installing of in-house plumbing - to the modern comforts that are common place today. Following the dream of a better life, Mary Jo's parents, Sam and Edith Chambers, moved their family to Michigan taking jobs at Willow Run and Pontiac Motors to provide a better life for their children. Mary Jo attended Lake Orion High School in Michigan and graduated with the Class of 1949. Her yearbook photo caption read "Verna Chambers, pretty as a picture." In 1985, Mary Jo retired after working 25 years at the General Motors Truck and Bus Facility in Pontiac, Michigan, and relocated to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with her husband, Charles "Chuck" Howell Jr. Mary Jo and Chuck they lived a wonderful life together in retirement traveling to their condo in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, taking motorhome and RV trips in the southwest, and being active members of the Lake Havasu City community. Mary Jo was an active member of the Lake Havasu American Legion's Women's Auxilary, and she supported Chuck in his love of the American Legion, where he served several terms as Commander, until his passing in 2007. In recent years Mary Jo became a huge fan of NBA Basketball, purchasing the NBA cable tv all-games package. She was even able to travel to Oklahoma City to attend NBA games with her son, Ron, and watch the Phoenix Suns play the Oklahoma City Thunder. She also enjoyed recreational trips to Las Vegas and Laughlin casinos with friends, and the annual Christmas vacations with her family to Sebastian, Florida each year. Mary Jo is preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Edith, brother, Jim, and husband Chuck. She is survived by her sister, Janice Sue Kubaski, Prescott, Arizona, and nieces, Holly Griffith and Nanette Mayotte, and families of Lake Orion; Sons, Dr. Ron Tripp of Norman, Oklahoma (Lake Orion), Richard Howell and Charles "Chuck" Howell III of Houston (Waterford), and Daughter Candy Bray (Tripp) of Chester, Virginia (Lake Orion); Grandaughter, Christy Tripp Dieringer, and great grandsons, Ethan and Landon, of Waco, Texas; and granddaughter Laura Jo Bray Sain, husband Chris, and great grandson CJ of Richmond, Virginia. Services will be held at the Lietz- Fraze Funeral Home, 21 Riviera, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on Monday, December 2, 2013 with final resting beside late husband Chuck at Lake Havasu Memorial Gardens. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to Mary Jo's family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com Arrangements were placed under the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory.