Natalie Gray Howell, a former Glen Head and Mill Neck resident, died August 24, 2005 in Boca Raton. She was 81 years old and had lived in Babylon Village prior to her move to Florida.

She was a world traveler and, according to her husband, Ralph Howell Jr., "Couldn’t help but smile at everybody." Her compassion was exemplified in many different endeavors throughout her life, including chairing a local chapter of the American Red Cross and as a member of more than 35 years in the Christian Women’s Clubs Of America. She was also a member of the National Board and an International Consultant with that organization and had regular speaking engagements across the United States and in more than 15 foreign countries.

Mrs. Howell was born in Kansas City, Missouri, moved to the New York area in her early teens, and changed location several times before settling in Sea Cliff. She graduated from Sea Cliff High School and Adelphi College. After their marriage, she and her husband Ralph spent approximately 15 years in Glen Head, Mill Neck and Babylon moving to Boca Raton some 20 years ago.

Mrs. Howell was a basketball enthusiast and played on four different teams during her time at Adelphi. She became an avid fan of the NBA’s Miami Heat upon moving to Boca Raton and never wavered in her love for the team.

She and her husband were sailing fanatics and the two frequently entered regattas through the Great South Bay and several times came in first place. Some of Ralph Howell’s fondest memories of Mrs. Howell are the adventures they shared sailing through the Mediterranean, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. Mrs. Howell was a great adventurer and traveler and, as a member of the Century Travel Club, traveled to more than 100 foreign countries, said her husband.

She was also the president of the Locust Valley Girls Club and a member of the Matinecock Garden Club, the International Perfume Bottle Association, and the Women’s National Republican Club in New York City.

"She and my father were madly in love for 61 years," said daughter Claudia Fish of Dixmont, Maine, as she recalled several of the many wonderful memories she shared with her mother.

As a result of her many compassionate and charitable endeavors, Mrs. Howell could often be heard saying at the end of a particularly exhausting day that she was "used up and poured out," which is the same phrase she requested on her headstone.

Ralph Howell said that his strong faith and Christian beliefs helped prepare him for the grieving process and have allowed him to speculate on another-worldy reunion with his wife. "I know that I’m going to see her again," he said.

In addition to her husband and her daughter, Mrs. Howell is survived by her sister Elizabeth and husband George Mauger; her children, Candy and husband Leon Choate of New York City, Robin and husband Kris Best of Manlius, New York, and India Howell of Arusha, Tanzania. Her grandchildren, Reed Choate, Ashley Best-Raiten, and Whitney Shepard and her son-in-law Scott Fish of Dixmont, Maine, also survive her.

Mrs. Howell reposed at Chapey Funeral Home on Saturday, September 3, and was interred later that day at the Babylon Rural Cemetery. A memorial service was conducted on Thursday, September 8, in Del Ray Beach, Florida.