Agnes Cunha Howard
May 26, 1914 — March 30, 2017
Agnes Cunha Howard, aged 102, died on March 30, 2017 at her Covenant Woods home.
A Mass celebrating Mrs. Howard's life will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, April 3, 2017 at Holy Family Church 320 12th St. Columbus, GA 31901 with visitation time beginning at 9:00 am. Interment will be held at Linwood Cemetery.
Born on May 26,1914 to Frank and Ferol Smith Cunha and the eldest of their ten children, Mrs. Howard, a lifelong resident of the Columbus-Phenix City area, graduated from Columbus High School in 1930.
Mrs. Howard was married in 1934 to Joseph Michael Connolly. In an era when few women had jobs outside the home, she worked full-time until her eightieth birthday in1994, when she reluctantly reduced her workload. Mrs. Howard worked for many years at Columbus men's clothing store Metcalf's, taking over her first husband's sporting goods business as well upon his death in 1953. In 1963, she began a new career selling life insurance for Massachusetts Mutual; she was proud to have earned the designation Chartered Life Underwriter.
Mrs. Howard did not permit the facts that she earned a living and raised her daughters as a widowed single parent prevent her from participating in the life of her church and of her community. A communicant of Holy Family Church since 1934, she was active in the Savannah Diocese Council of Catholic Women. She was a member of the Pilot and Altrusa clubs, was a hard-working and effective presence in parents' organizations at her daughters' schools and served as treasurer of the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary Mardi Gras Ball for many years. She was recognized as a Gracious Lady of Georgia in 1994.
In 1969, Mrs. Howard married Hugh Willis Kimbrough, who died in 1997. In 1999, she married John Robert Howard, who died in 2007.
Mrs. Howard is survived by four daughters: Mary Michael Connolly Egan and husband Edmund of Amherst, New York: Patricia Kimbrough Taylor of Columbus; Margaret Connolly Gardzina of Liberty, Texas, whose husband John Gardzina predeceased his mother-in-law; and Josephine Connolly Black and husband Forrest of Austin, Texas. Ten grandchildren survive her: Edmund Egan III of San Francisco; Mary Egan of Mercer Island, Washington; William Egan of Buffalo; Sarah Egan and husband Frank Barrera of South Pasadena, California; Elizabeth Egan and husband Walter Lech of Palo Alto, California; Frances Egan of Portland, Oregon, Joseph Gardzina and wife Victoria of Rosharon, Texas; Anne Gardzina Bartlett and husband Wenzel of Angleton, Texas; Edwin Black and wife Deidra of Cedar Park, Texas; and Julia Black and Anson O'Connor of Austin. Ten great grandchildren also survive her: Leo and Iris Barrera; Hannah and Sarah Bartlett; William Gardzina; Adrienne and Fiona Lec; and Devon, Simon and Maya Toribio. Mrs. Howard's niece, Susanne Connolly-Jones, and her husband Stuart Jones, both of Cataula, along with their children Stuart Jones, Jr., of LaGrange and Michelle Jones of Columbus, survive her, as does her nephew, William James Connolly of Clearwater, Florida.
Eight of Mrs. Howard's siblings predeceased her: Frank, John, Richard, Kirby and Philip Cunha, Frances Cunha Carroll, Margaret Cunha Bibek and Julia Cunha Mahon. One of her sisters, Madeline Cunha Welsh of Putnam, Connecticut, survives her, as do many nieces and nephews and their families.
Mrs. Howard's daughters would like to thank Linda Baldwin, her team of caregivers, and the staff of Covenant Woods for the attentive and affectionate care they have given her over the past few years.
In lieu of flowers, please direct contributions to St. Joseph's Child Development Center in Fort Mitchell, Alabama, the Holy Family Church Outreach Program, or the charity of your choice.
GA
A Mass celebrating Mrs. Howard's life will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, April 3, 2017 at Holy Family Church 320 12th St. Columbus, GA 31901 with visitation time beginning at 9:00 am. Interment will be held at Linwood Cemetery.
Born on May 26,1914 to Frank and Ferol Smith Cunha and the eldest of their ten children, Mrs. Howard, a lifelong resident of the Columbus-Phenix City area, graduated from Columbus High School in 1930.
Mrs. Howard was married in 1934 to Joseph Michael Connolly. In an era when few women had jobs outside the home, she worked full-time until her eightieth birthday in1994, when she reluctantly reduced her workload. Mrs. Howard worked for many years at Columbus men's clothing store Metcalf's, taking over her first husband's sporting goods business as well upon his death in 1953. In 1963, she began a new career selling life insurance for Massachusetts Mutual; she was proud to have earned the designation Chartered Life Underwriter.
Mrs. Howard did not permit the facts that she earned a living and raised her daughters as a widowed single parent prevent her from participating in the life of her church and of her community. A communicant of Holy Family Church since 1934, she was active in the Savannah Diocese Council of Catholic Women. She was a member of the Pilot and Altrusa clubs, was a hard-working and effective presence in parents' organizations at her daughters' schools and served as treasurer of the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary Mardi Gras Ball for many years. She was recognized as a Gracious Lady of Georgia in 1994.
In 1969, Mrs. Howard married Hugh Willis Kimbrough, who died in 1997. In 1999, she married John Robert Howard, who died in 2007.
Mrs. Howard is survived by four daughters: Mary Michael Connolly Egan and husband Edmund of Amherst, New York: Patricia Kimbrough Taylor of Columbus; Margaret Connolly Gardzina of Liberty, Texas, whose husband John Gardzina predeceased his mother-in-law; and Josephine Connolly Black and husband Forrest of Austin, Texas. Ten grandchildren survive her: Edmund Egan III of San Francisco; Mary Egan of Mercer Island, Washington; William Egan of Buffalo; Sarah Egan and husband Frank Barrera of South Pasadena, California; Elizabeth Egan and husband Walter Lech of Palo Alto, California; Frances Egan of Portland, Oregon, Joseph Gardzina and wife Victoria of Rosharon, Texas; Anne Gardzina Bartlett and husband Wenzel of Angleton, Texas; Edwin Black and wife Deidra of Cedar Park, Texas; and Julia Black and Anson O'Connor of Austin. Ten great grandchildren also survive her: Leo and Iris Barrera; Hannah and Sarah Bartlett; William Gardzina; Adrienne and Fiona Lec; and Devon, Simon and Maya Toribio. Mrs. Howard's niece, Susanne Connolly-Jones, and her husband Stuart Jones, both of Cataula, along with their children Stuart Jones, Jr., of LaGrange and Michelle Jones of Columbus, survive her, as does her nephew, William James Connolly of Clearwater, Florida.
Eight of Mrs. Howard's siblings predeceased her: Frank, John, Richard, Kirby and Philip Cunha, Frances Cunha Carroll, Margaret Cunha Bibek and Julia Cunha Mahon. One of her sisters, Madeline Cunha Welsh of Putnam, Connecticut, survives her, as do many nieces and nephews and their families.
Mrs. Howard's daughters would like to thank Linda Baldwin, her team of caregivers, and the staff of Covenant Woods for the attentive and affectionate care they have given her over the past few years.
In lieu of flowers, please direct contributions to St. Joseph's Child Development Center in Fort Mitchell, Alabama, the Holy Family Church Outreach Program, or the charity of your choice.
Mass of Christian Burial
APR 3. 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EDT)
Holy Family Catholic ChurchGA
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