Dr. Avery Y Howell, Jr

Dr. Avery Y Howell, Jr passed away April 30, 2018 at the age of 95.

He was born April 5, 1923 in Boone, North Carolina to parents Avery Young Howell and Blanna Cannon Howell.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Montine Tatum Howell and four children; Patricia and Charles Wester, Keith and Linda Howell, Baxter and Cyndie Howell and Avery and Sharon Howell, all of Cumming. Sister, Mary Lois Leith and nephew, Cannon Howell. Eight grandchildren; Justin (Shelby) Howell, Jeremy (Jennifer) Howell, Joda (Todd) Foster, April (Jason) Jacobs, Stephanie (Nick) Freund, Anna (Shawn) Norton, and Carey (Andrew) Baker and Ace (Erika) Howell. Loved and cherished by twenty-one great-grandchildren.

Dr. Howell graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1943 and from Emory University Dental School in March 1946 receiving his DDS degree. He was a member of Xi-Psi-Phi Fraternity and as a member of the National Honor Fraternity graduated with academic honors. After graduation from Emory, Dr. Howell was recruited by Mr. Roy Otwell, Mayor of Cumming, to become the first resident dentist in Cumming and Forsyth County Georgia. He built the first full time Dental office in 1946, leaving for 2 years from 1950 to 1952 during the Korean Conflict serving as a Captain in the United States Army Medical Corp based at Fort Sam Houston in Texas and Fort McClellan in Conyers, Ga. He practiced dentistry in Cumming from 1946 until his retirement in 1978. He was married in November of 1945 to Annie Montine Tatum of Alpharetta who worked at Sears and Roebuck in Atlanta during World War II. They met at the Emory Dental Clinic where she had been a patient. In 2017 they celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.

He became active in the community as a charter member of the local Kiwanis and helped to organize the first Jaycees program in Cumming, Georgia. He was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at the First Baptist Church of Cumming from 1947 until 1998 and a charter member of Cumming Baptist Church.

He served as a Cumming City Councilman from 1962 to 1966 serving as Mayor Pro-tem and was instrumental in getting Fluoride added to the City and County water system as a natural deterrent to tooth decay as was discovered during World War II.

He was a leader in starting the first Band program at the Forsyth County High School in the 1960s. He later served as the first Flash of Crimson Band Booster President in the 1970s. Having played the French Horn in high school and while attending the University of North Carolina fueled his drive to faithfully support the local school music programs. He marched in the 1942 Rose Bowl Parade held on the East coast after the attack on Pearl Harbor of Dec. 1941.

Music was always a large influence on his life and was evident in his dental office as music of The Boston Pops, John Phillip Sousa and Montovanis Orchestra soothed patients during their visits.

After his retirement he became active in Forsyth County Government by serving with the Civil Service Board for 26 years from 1988 until 2014, serving as Chairman of that Board until 2012. Dr. Howell served as a member of the Tax Equalization Board for 22 years from 1992 until 2014.

The Funeral service will be held on Wednesday May 2, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Cumming Baptist Church Sanctuary with Dr. B.V. Franklin officiating. Visitation for friends and family will be Tuesday evening from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Ingram Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Sawnee View Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Cumming Baptist Church Building Fund, 115 Church Street, Cumming, Ga 30040.

Ingram Funeral Home in Cumming is in charge of arrangements.