Barbara Howe

Barbara A. Howe, age 80 of Nashville, entered eternal life with her Lord and Savior and after many years of longing, was also reunited with her son, Alex on June 11, 2015. Mrs. Howe was born May 15, 1935 in Martinez, CA to Charles and Evelyn Edison Olsen.Mrs. Howe grew up in Northern California, married and began her family. Her next move was to Wisconsin, where her family continued to grow to eight children and she began working in the restaurant business. The family then moved to Vermont, where she continued her education that had been put on hold while being a loving mother to eight children. A move to Florida allowed her to complete her education, attending St. Petersburg Junior college before attaining her Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of South Florida. She then began her career with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts Office. She retired in 2000 and spent her retirement years in Clearwater, FL with her beloved husband of 32 years, Richard Howe. They enjoyed going on cruises and spending time with their family. She was an avid gardener, loved working on the computer and became involved in studying genealogy. After her husband's death in 2011, she moved to Nashville to be with her family.Mrs. Howe was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Richard; son, Alex Lee Smith; and brother, William Olsen. She is survived by her sons, Ronald (Josephine) Smith of Plymouth, WI, Wiley (Susan) Smith of Redding, CA and Wayne Hannes of Mauston, WI; daughters, Melanie (Steven) Perry of Nashville, TN, Sandra (David) Edwards of Norfolk, VA, Mary (Mark) Steberg and Linda (Edward) Spitzer, both of Fond du Lac, WI; brothers, David (Kathy) Olsen of Elkhart, WI, James Gassaway of Reno, NV and John (Lisa) Schwarz of New Holstein, WI; sister, Sandra (Lloyd) Stemper of DeMotts, IN; stepchildren, Richard (Arlene) Howe of Lancaster, NH, Kenneth (Anne) Howe of North Easton, MA, Curtis (Patricia) Howe of Ft. Pierce, FL, Elizabeth (Earl) Schlie of Berlin, NH, Mary Alice(Robert) DeLuca and Jonathan (Monica) Howe, both of Bellows Falls, VT, Jeannette (Phillip) Hakey of Virginia Beach, VA, Christopher (Deborah) Howe of Keene, NH and Jeanne (David) Ball of Clearwater, FL; 49 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and her beloved Shih Tzu, Emma.A celebration of Mrs. Howe's life will be conducted at a later date. Interment will be in the Sarasota National Cemetery in Sarasota, FL.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Barbara A. Howe Memorial Fund, c/o Melanie Perry, 5004 West Durrett Drive, Nashville, TN 37211.