- Date Of Birth: November 25, 1930
- Date Of Death: August 23, 2017
- State: New Mexico
Howard Saraphine Gebel Jr., 86, passed away on Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at home after quietly and bravely struggled with cancer for many months. Howard was born August 25, 1930 in Canton, Ohio. His parents Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Gebel preceded him in death. He is survived by one sister Nancy Lewis of Las Vegas, NV; step-son James Gebel; step-daughter Pam Glass and grandchildren Brandon Gebel, Bradley Evans, Brian Evans, and Clair Evans.
As a young man, Howard was proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a Medic and fought in the Korean War. He worked at several places across the United States but Roswell became home in 1968 and remained his home for the next 49 years. Howard was a Range Management Specialist for the BLM for over 30 years and retired in 1988. He continued working as a consultant for Range Management for many years.
Howard was an active member of the Chaparral Rock Hound Club where he found the love of his life Mary Anne Malone. They were married for 32 years and enjoyed many wonderful adventures together. They both loved gardening and were members of the Pecos Valley Iris Society, and could write a book about the great places and wonderful friends they enjoyed with the Cactus Sam’s RV Club. It was a crushing blow to Howard when Mary Anne lost her battle with cancer in October of 2006.
All of his life Howard loved music and was an accomplished pianist and sang in many church choirs including the First United Methodist Church – Silver Cords, and the Assumption Catholic Church Choir. Howard was often seen riding his bicycle daily on a long ride out to Bitter Lakes, even in his late 70’s, enjoying good health and lots of sunshine. Howard loved animals and was never without a dog in his life. Rusty and Brandy his poodles were his constant companions.
