James N. Howard

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Rev. James N. Howard, 79, died April 6, 2019.

Born Aug. 25, 1939, in Sikeston, Mo., son of the late Ed and Jennie Howard, he was one of 12 other students from Lincoln School to join the Sikeston Public School System during integration of the junior and senior classes in fall 1954. A 1956 Sikeston High School, he obtained a Bachelor of Science from Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., in July 1960. He did his post-graduate studies in chemistry at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., and the University of Missouri in Columbia.  He served in various roles, such as chemist at Celanese Chemical Company and brewing supervisor at Miller Brewing Company and production supervisor at Kraft Dairy Group. In 1995, he retired as quality assurance supervisor at Abbott Laboratories in Rocky Mount, N.C. He was member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and affiliated with Beta Kappa Chi Honorary Scientific and American Chemical Societies.  In 1978, he was ordained at Mount Pisgah C.M.E. Church in Baltimore, Md.  He served as pastor in various C.M.E. churches, including Hamlet Chapel C.M.E. Church from 2000-2005.  He retired from the C.M.E. church in 2009 and later was the pastor of Alston Grove Christian Congregational Church in Chapel Hill in 2010 until his death. 

In 1962, in Little Rock, he married Zeola Zeola Watts, and she survives of the home.  

Survivors include: six children, Delicia Page of Sikeston, Paulia R. Donalson of Syracuse, N.Y., James Howard Jr. of Graham, Karen S. Howard of Boone,  Zena K. Howard of Cary and Vanessa D. Howard of Charlotte; two sisters, Roylene Howard and Carlene Harrington of Sikeston; and two brothers, Harry Howard of Sikeston and Fred Howard; and three grandchildren.

Services were conducted at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Hamlet Chapel C.M.E Church in Pittsboro.

Burial followed at 1:30 p.m. in the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens with Jones Funeral Home Inc. of Chapel Hill in charge of arrangements.

Obituary is courtesy of Driver Funeral Service.

Online condolences may be made at www.driverfuneralservice.com.