Texas Harold Howard, 85

San Jose, CA—Tex Howard had a lifelong interest in science and nature as witnessed by his yard full of unusual rocks, raw gems and crystals. His father, William Henry Harrison Howard, a mining engineer throughout the West during the Great Depression, introduced Texas to geology at an early age. By the time he was a preteen, Teky could identify many rocks by nick- and geologic-name as well as period.

In the 1970s, Tex began a collection of cactus plants which eventually tallied in the hundreds. He would be happy to tell you the common and Latin names of each plant, where it was found, and how it got to his Garden Alameda home of 45 years.

In the late 1970s, Tex and his wife kept a beehive in their backyard, harvesting the honey for decades to share with family and friends.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Texas' family settled in Salt Lake City in the 1930s where he played french horn in a school orchestra. Injured on the playground at age 10, Tex was left with one leg considerably shorter than the other. Undaunted, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Zion National Park, hiking all the trails when he wasn't on duty in the scullery. Zion and the Four Corners territory became a favorite spot he returned to frequently.

By 1940, Tex's family moved to San Francisco. Tex joined the United States Merchant Marine during World War II, traveling the world. He kept up his fellowship with a local mariners group until his death.

Texas married Doris Marguerite Gardner, a World War II ARMY Nurse, in 1947, at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco. They raised three children in San Jose : Constance Anne, Matthew Texas and William Leslie. Connie and Bill went on to perform with many theater and music companies in the Bay Area through the 1990s. Doris created and ran a countywide swim program for challenged youth in the '60s and '70s.

Mr. Howard managed the Parts Department for Normandin's Chrysler-Plymouth from 1957-1982, garnering national awards and chairmanships for his work building one of the largest MOPAR dealerships in the United States.

After retiring in the 1980s, Tex earned a Master Gardner certificate. He was featured in several articles in the San Jose Mercury News over the decades helping people all over Silicon Valley care for their gardens and houseplants. He was instrumental in the initial design work of Guadalupe River Park and Gardens.

For many years Tex and Doris attended Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Santa Clara where he volunteered with the grounds and buildings committee.

Texas passed away June 29, 2006. He had undergone a second surgery for lung cancer, dying of cardiac arrhythmia two days later.

Texas is survived by his wife Doris and son Bill Howard of Reno, Nevada; daughter Constance Howard of Palo Alto, California; son Matthew Howard of Chico, California; sisters Dorothy Beaulieu of Tempe, Arizona, and Evelyn Johnson of Portland, Oregon.

A memorial service was held after cremation.