Mrs. Judy Kay Howle

On January 10, 2025, the world became a little quieter, colors a little less bright, with the passing of a remarkable woman, Mrs. Judy K. Johnson Howle (73). You will not find her name in any headlines or honored on any list of rewards, but with her own brand of sass, grace and strength she held the most important titles we can bestow. Daughter. Sister. Wife and Soulmate. Mother. MawMaw. Caregiver. Nuturer. Friend. She was born a Pond Hollow girl in Hartsville, SC, on December 4, 1951, the daughter of a plant-worker and a seamstress. She owned her red-headed spitfire status from the beginning, playing flag-football with the boys and giving her little brothers and cousins hell any chance she could. She graduated from Hartsville High School in 1970, and shortly thereafter, Florence-Darlington Technical School. Not long after that, she stormed into the life a blue-eyed farm boy named John Robert Howle and promptly proceeded to change his life forever. Once she forgave him for spilling cherry coke on her brand-new coat, she decided that he was hers and she was his, marrying “that Howle boy” in March, 1973 and taking a honeymoon that lasted nearly 52 years. Really. As their two daughters and son would attest, they love they shared never tarnished from the first day to the last moment. After proudly serving her country as a Navy Wife for more than 20 years, and raising three children who could never doubt the fierceness of a mother’s love, she didn’t rest on her laurels, but continued to find joy in the undiscovered places. For years, in a daycare and in her own home she cared for children – kids that felt her love so deeply, that even as they ventured out into the world and had babies of their own, reached out to “Mrs. Judy”. She adopted the entire Seniors Sunday School class at her church, sent care packages to her daughters’ friends. Sang every hymn at the top of her lungs, not caring how many notes she hit correctly. Managed to boogie-woogie to Elvis, even in her wheelchair. Opened the door just to listen to the rain. Ate a bag of boiled peanuts like they were the finest caviar. Taught her grandbaby to make bestest fried-egg sandwich. Shook her booty to make her grandson laugh until he could barely breathe. And, yes, she snuck a little sugar from that blue-eyed farm boy whenever she got the chance. The crowning achievements of this extraordinarily life well-lived arrived in June 2004 and April 2010. A girl named Sydney and a boy named Jacob, who each inherited her red hair, a lot of her sassy spirit, and all of her heart. Seeing them growing into the amazing human beings they are was her proudest accomplishment. This wonderful woman, this amazing human being, my mama, was preceded on her journey by her parents, Kenneth Russell and Billie Naomi Johnson; her brothers by blood, Charles and Russ, and her brothers in spirit, Roy Johnson and Bea Atkinson. Those of us still here, who are missing her fiercely but are grateful for every day we had, include her true love, John Robert Howle, her daughters Ms. Geanie Christine Howle and Mrs. James (Bess) Reed, her son, Robert Russell (Rusty) Howle and her daughter-in-spirit, Allison Carr, her dear friend and mother-in-spirit, Lois Lambert, and the other true loves of her life, her grandchildren Sydney Bess Reed and Jacob Robert Reed. Flowers or donations to your favorite charity or church are welcomed, but the family requests that everyone perform a random act of kindness in Judy’s memory. Because the love and joy that she sowed in her lifetime is so bountiful, there will be two celebrations of her life and spirit. On Saturday, January 18, 2025, family will receive visitors at the Jacksonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home at 9:00 a.m., to be followed by a memorial service at 10:00 a.m. Anyone who would like to wear an Elvis shirt or memorabilia is encouraged to do so. Services in Hartsville SC will be held Sunday, January 26, 2025 at New Market United Methodist Church at 2pm. Love you the most mostest, Mama

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Mrs. Judy Kay Howle

December 4, 1951 - January 10, 2025