William Howard

Atlanta/Canton - William C. "Pete" Howard, 84, died in Atlanta on Saturday, December 9, 2017 after a brief illness.

Retired as a senior vice president from Georgia Pacific in 1996, Pete had a long career in the paper industry serving three major corporations as vice president of manufacturing: Champion International Paper, Great Northern Nekoosa and Georgia Pacific. Both his father and grandfather were also "papermakers" in North Carolina.

William C. Howard was the only child of Ruth Grogan Howard and William Joseph Howard, born in Canton, North Carolina on August 26, 1933. Growing up in Haywood County, Pete - as he was called since childhood - attended Bethel Schools and graduated from Canton High School in 1951.

He attended the then all-male and military Clemson University where he was a member of the cadet corps. He graduated in 1955 with a degree in chemical engineering and the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was chosen the Distinguished Military Student his senior year.

Right after graduation Pete married his high school sweetheart, Nita Murr, and they were happily married for 62 years. Their first move was to Rock Hill, South Carolina with Rock Hill Printing and Finishing, returning to Canton due to a mill strike.

From his beginnings in the lab with Champion, Pete's papermaking career involved many moves in pulp and paper industry. With each promotion, he and Nita moved their three children with a sense of challenge and adventure, from Canton to Florence, Alabama; Pasadena, Texas; Stanford, Connecticut; Texarkana, Arkansas; Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin; and then to Atlanta when Georgia Pacific bought Great Northern.

Pete's style of management was not that different from his dedication to his family. A devoted family man who spent every possible moment with his wife and children, he was also inclusive and respectful of all employees. He believed in and acted by the Golden Rule, emphasizing involvement and rewards for good work.

In Atlanta, Pete and Nita have been active members of the Atlanta Country Club where Pete, an avid golfer, has enjoyed regular games on Tuesdays and Thursdays since his retirement in 1996. He was an accomplished fly fisherman and bird hunter and known to be well dressed for whatever the occasion - from business to golf to the outdoors. On Saturday mornings in the fall, he would put on his Clemson clothes to watch the game on TV. He and Nita were always on the go and Pete was known to never be idle or sitting down. They belonged to dinner groups and a couples' book club and regularly attended Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. He worked hard and played hard, too.

Pete is survived by his wife, Nita and their three children: William Stephen Howard, his wife Erika of Monroe, Louisiana and their children William Dawson Howard, Alexandra Irja Howard and Emily Nita Howard; Andrea Howard Pennington and her husband Bruce of The Woodlands, Texas and their children Ashley Pennington Henderson (Collin), Mary Elizabeth Pennington; and
Joseph David Howard of Woodstock, Georgia and his children Selena Adamek and Sam Howard. Pete will also be missed by several loving cousins and nieces and many friends.

A devoted member of the Baptist church, Pete's funeral will be held on Thursday, December 14, at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina: visitation at 1 p.m., funeral service at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Spring Hill Baptist Church, 1918 Murray Road, Canton, NC 28716 or to Clemson University, 110 Daniel Drive, Clemson, SC 29631 or www.clemson.edu.

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