The following obituary was provided by Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton and has been edited for style.
Ralph Howell, 81, of Sag Harbor and Fountain Hills, Ariz., passed away peacefully on September 25, 2013 after a long battle with illness.
Born in Wewoka, Okla. to Preston and Vernest Faye Howell. He is survived by his wife, Anne and her children Charles Dorego, Paul Dorego and Denise O'Malley and six grandchildren. Also several nieces and nephews in Texas, Washington State and California.
Howell served in the Army from 1949 to 1955. He enlisted in the National Guard and was deployed during the Korean conflict on active duty. When his initial tour was over, he re-enlisted for another three years and spent time in Korea and Japan. He was awarded the Army Occupational Medal (Japan). Korean Service Medal with 1 Bronze Star and United Nations Service Medal.
He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1959 and was a member of Oklahoma Phi Kappa Psi. After graduation he left to live and work in Arizona. He worked for a time as an underwriter for several mortgage companies. He retired from Bank of America in the early 1990s. In 1998, he opened a real estate brokerage firm, Ralph Howell & Associates, and continued to work as a real estate broker and construction inspector for various banks. He retired again in 2006 and moved to Sag Harbor.
He was a member of the Sag Harbor American Legion and the VFW. He was an avid reader, bird watcher, fly fisherman, bocce player and traveled extensively. His Native American heritage was evident in his quiet, sensitive approach to all matters of life. His interests included all things natural and he was a member of the Nature Conservancy.
He lived a wonderful rich life through his travels and his ability to easily make friends all over the US, Canada to Mexico and especially Ireland. He was loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.
A memorial visitation with the Sag Harbor VFW and American Legion Service and Military Honors will be held at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton on Saturday, October 5 from 11 am. until 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Southampton Hospital or East End Hospice would be appreciated.
