Obituary of Annie May Howell

Annie May (Anne) Devereaux Howell was born to the late Ennis and Mary Horace Devereaux on December 11, 1935, in Philadelphia, PA. She departed this life on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at Mather House Skilled Nursing at the Hill at Whitemarsh in Lafayette Hill, PA. Anne grew up surrounded by family, and was especially close to her mother's parents, her grandparents William and Mary Reynolds Horace who gave her the nickname Honey. She attended Philadelphia public schools where she made several lifelong friends, and graduated Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School in 1953. In 1958, Anne married the late John Howell and in 1964 they welcomed their daughter, Joanne Michele. At the urging of her daughter's teachers, Anne became a teacher's aide in 1969, starting her career with the School District of Philadelphia. Enrolling in Community College of Philadelphia, she graduated in 1973 with an Associate of Arts degree, then attended Temple University, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education in 1975. Anne taught at several schools from 1975 to 1982, then was assigned to Spring Garden Elementary School where she taught 2nd and 3rd grade for the next 22 years until her retirement in 2004. Anne accepted Christ as a young girl and joined Childs Memorial Baptist Church as a teenager. Over the years, she sang on the church choir, and as a soloist; taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School; became the In Touch ministry servant leader, providing encouragement to church members during their times of illness; and took on beautifying the church's outdoor spaces. Anne's creativity knew no bounds; she appreciated all crafts, and was especially skilled at sewing, knitting, and gardening before her Alzheimer's Disease progressed. Above all else, Anne was the archetype of generosity; she loved being a helper, this is how she lived by her faith. Anne will be long remembered in the hearts and minds of those she encountered. She leaves to continue celebrating her life a daughter Joanne, a goddaughter Cynthia, a sister-in-law Gloria, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.