OBITUARY: Mr Frederick Howell

3:29pm Thursday 2nd October 2008

A POPULAR football and aeroplane enthusiast who fought in World War Two has died, aged 84. Great-grandfather Frederick Charles Howell, known by all as Charlie, died on Friday from bronchial pneumonia.

Mr Howell, his brother Tom and sister Dolly were schooled at The Close in Warminster, in a building which is now retirement homes in Kingston Court.

He quickly became fascinated with aeroplanes and at the age of 14 founded the Warminster Air Cadet Force, which quickly became very popular and met at the drill hall in Imber Road.

Mr Howell joined the RAF in 1943, aged 19, as a rear gunner.

He lost 30 of his friends in the service and could no longer serve as a gunner because he suffered with nerves.

He retired and became a builder's labourer for Parsons, who were involved in building the Three Horseshoe Mall in Warminster. He later joined R. Butcher and Sons, the same firm which his son Steve later worked for 17 years.

He married Brenda Saunders in 1959 in Warminster, and they made their home in Imber Road.

They had seven children, Jim, now living in Stevenage; Sheila Corper, of Warminster; Maggie Henderson, of Warminster; Diane Poulson, of Scotland; Robert, of Westbury, Les, of Bath and Stephen, of Warminster.

The granddad of 10 and great-granddad of eight was also an avid football fan, known throughout the town for his support of local teams.

He was a mascot for Warminster Highbury Youth Football Club and received Supporter of the Year numerous times for retrieving balls from trees and houses while watching games.

Charlie was devastated when Brenda died in 1992, after they had been married for 33 years. Son Steve said: "Luckily we have a large family and we were able to help him through the hard times.

"He was my hero in the way he portrayed himself and the way he was with people. He was a person's person.

"He was such a kind, loving person who would speak to anybody. That is why he was known throughout the town. He would talk to people irrespective of whether he had known them for a long time or if they were new to the town."

In later years Mr Howell developed Parkinsons and arthritis, much to his disappointment, as it held him back from his love of walking.

His funeral will be held at 12.30pm on Wednesday at St John's Church in Boreham Road, followed by a service at Semington Crematorium and a wake at the Hunter's Moon Pub in Henford Marsh, Warminster.

All who knew him are welcome and donations in his memory can be made to the Beckford Centre, in Gypsy Lane, which he visited each week.