Robert James Howell
Daily Herald
Robert James Howell
1925 ~ 2009
Our wonderful father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed quietly away on November 20, 2009. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Born in Salt Lake City (Holladay), Utah, on September 13, 1925, to Stella Myrtle Knight and Elmer Virgil Howell, the youngest child of six children, he was raised in a home that valued church, family, education and music. He attended grade schools in Holladay and then Granite High School. He excelled in his school work and served as editor of the yearbook during his senior year in high school.
After attending college for a short while at the University of Utah and Washington State College, he joined the Army Air Corp to support the World War II effort. It was during this time in Louisiana that he met Mary Winnie Raiford, who was first his sweetheart and later his wife of nearly 62 years. After an honorable discharge from the army, he returned to Utah where he and Mary were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1946. He resumed his studies at the University of Utah, eventually earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in psychology. He also earned a diplomate in clinical psychology. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a university professor, first at Fresno State College in California and then at Brigham Young University. During his long tenure at BYU, he served as department chairman and pioneered and directed the doctoral program in clinical psychology.
He was a consultant for several universities throughout the nation in establishing doctoral programs in clinical psychology. He published more than 75 research articles and 125 book reviews. Always concerned for the disadvantaged in society, he served for many years on the professional staffs of the Utah State Hospital and the Utah State Prison. He was also instrumental in establishing the community mental health systems in California and Utah. Ultimately, he specialized in the area of forensic psychology. He donated countless hours of charity work, both to the community and his church, in the area of clinical psychology. He loved his profession and his work.
He and Mary are the parents are three children, Carol, Peggy and Bruce. He was a devoted father and grandfather, generous with his time and spirit and was very involved in the lives of his children. They have fond memories of warm family times spent together at home and on vacations. He was always looking for a fun activity to do with his wife and children.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, and his wife, Mary. He is survived by his brothers, his three children, 16 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 11, 2009, at the Rock Canyon LDS Ward Chapel, 3050 Mojave Lane, Provo, Utah, at 12:00 p.m. Friends may call at the Ward Chapel of Friday from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. Interment will take place immediately following the funeral at the East Lawn Memorial cemetery in Provo, Utah. Condolences may be sent to info@bergmortuary.com.