Rev. Howard Richard Caldwell, 78, of Cumming, died Nov. 20, 2009 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Born and educated in Albany, N.Y., Howard was the son of the late Howard and Jane Caldwell.
His brother, Roy Caldwell, also preceded him in death.
Howard served in the Navy during the Korean Conflict. The G.I. Bill enabled him to attend college, receiving a BS and an MBA from the State University of New York at Albany. After college, he became the youngest school business administrator in New York State. He was always an avid sportsman as a player and a coach.
The Rev. Caldwell played minor league baseball, coached high school football and baseball and then hit the golf course. One of his greatest joys was playing golf, something he recently taught to his 13-year-old grandson, Ryan.
Howard felt called to the ministry and began his call as a lay leader, local paster and student pastor. He received his Master of Divinity from Drew University after commuting from upstate New York to Madison, N.J. for three years. He was ordained a deacon and then an elder by the North Central New York Conference.
He has served churches in upstate New York in Brooktondale, Watkins Glen, Beaver Dams and the Homer Avenue UMC in Cortland. He has also served the following churches in Georgia – Cool Springs, the Dawsonville Circuit and Ebenezer.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Virginia Caldwell of Cumming; daughter, Laurie (Chris) Hintz of Cumming; son, Chris (Christine) Vogt of Rochester, N.Y.; sister, Laura (Floyd) Schafer of Florida; brother, Robert (Carol) Caldwell of Florida; sister-in-law, June Caldwell of Florida; grandchildren, Ryan and Chase Hintz and Michael, Jessica and John Vogt; various other relatives also survive.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23 at Cumming First United Methodist Church. Interment followed Tuesday, Nov. 24 at Georgia National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations made to the Food Pantry at Cumming First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 606, Cumming, GA 30028.
McDonald and Son Funeral Home and Crematory of Cumming was in charge of the arrangements.