Born Dec 22, 1946 in Nashville to the late Ouida (McIntyre) Tucker and Randolph Tucker, Mary Howell died on November 29, 2021, from complications of a chronic condition she fought with heroic grace all of her adult life.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years Terry Wayne Howell in 2015.
She is survived by her son Edward Randolph Howell (Katie), grandson Tucker Martin Howell, brother John Randolph Tucker (Connie), brother Donald Bruce Tucker (Susan MacKinnon), and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Mary graduated from Hillsboro High School, Western Kentucky University, and earned a Master’s degree in education from Middle Tennessee State University. She spent her early career teaching first grade in the Nashville public school system. Subsequently, she helped Terry build a successful group insurance benefits business, which she guided after Terry’s death and passed on to son Randy.
But her real life’s work revolved around faith, family, and friends.
She was an assistant teaching leader in Bible Study Fellowship. For more than ten years, she also conducted Bible studies in her home for a group of younger women to whom she offered advice and counsel and with whom she forged the deepest of friendships. She and Terry were founding members of West End Community Church. She was a founding advisor and, for four years, a member of the Board of Trustees of New Hope Academy, a Christ-centered community school that brings together an economically, racially, and culturally diverse student body. She also tutored children in underserved communities in Nashville.
From the deep well of her faith, she drew the courage to face down suffering with an iron will and wicked wit. With family, she taught us what we all owe each other, every day. And friends she soon turned into family.
She had no patience with such praise aimed in her direction. You can almost hear her saying, “If y’all are going to talk about me like that, I’m going to leave.” And so she has. And how we all will miss her.
