Irene Tomlinson Howell, born March 12, 1941, departed the constraints of this life to return to her heavenly home, on Oct 28, 2025. Her legacy perseveres through her devoted spouse, Fred Howell; children, Jon Christopher (Juliana) Howell, and Cindy (Kent) Mansker; and her grandchildren, Jason (Lisa) Zellmer, Christina Irene Leake, Jessica Howell, Corey Howell, Brandon Howell, Keith (Ciera) Mansker, Brooke (Grant) Clark, three great-grandchildren, her brother, Gregory Tomlinson; nephews, Greg Tomlinson, Jr., Lanny Howell, Jr., and Lance Howell, will also carry her memory forward. She was predeceased by her loving parents, Bland and Bertha Tomlinson, her brother-in-law, Lanny Howell, Sr., and her sister-in-law, Alice Tomlinson.

Irene graduated in 1959 from Slaton High School in Slaton, TX. She organized many class reunions and cherished classmate memories.

Following high school, Irene attended Texas Technological College (as it was then known), where she met her future husband, Fred Howell. The two were united in marriage on December 17, 1960, and shared a life together for just shy of sixty-five years.

Irene took an active leadership role within her children's schools, clubs, sports, and churches. Throughout their childhoods and beyond, Irene advocated for the success and well-being of her children and grandchildren.

Over the years, Irene's vibrancy and ceaseless dedication to the organizations she lent her spirit to, will be remembered with fondness and respect. Irene put her excellent organizational skills to good use in all aspects of life. Irene owned businesses, campaigned tirelessly for candidates she believed in, and attended church with Fred regularly, including Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, where they were members for many years.

Irene's favorite pastime in earlier years was golf, and she thrived on a little friendly competition. As president of the Women's Golf Association (WGA) at the Woodcrest Country Club in Grand Prairie, Irene organized numerous tournaments and golf expeditions. Additional interests included bridge and other card games, where she again organized tournaments and play dates. Fred and Irene also ventured snow-skiing many times, until her last trip where they discovered she would need a pacemaker.

Irene and Fred both had a taste for adventure and loved to explore new things. One fond memory included a zipline excursion with her beloved brother and sister-in-law, Greg and Alice. Other earlier memories include hiking with scouting expeditions, backpacking in Yosemite and on Catalina Island, and touring mines and rafting in Colorado. Irene's favorite vacations included golf trips to Scotland, Hawaii, Arizona, and California. Fred and Irene were able to visit Canada, and Europe, Mexico, and took several cruises, while Irene owned Overland Stage Travel. Irene created many scrapbooks to remind them of good times.

Irene and Fred were unwavering supporters of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. One of Cindy's last memories with her mom was watching the Texas Tech at Arizona game on October 18. They cheered for Tech, wearing their TTU shirts. The TTU/OSU game was a favorite and one she and Fred consistently attended with Alice and Greg.

Our beloved mom and Grandma, while encouraging us, also had expectations that we could and would rise to any occasion, which is a testament to her "can-do" nature.

We invite everyone who has been touched by Irene's life to join us in celebrating her journey. A funeral service will be held on November 21, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Indiana Avenue Baptist Church in Lubbock, TX.

Even as we mourn, we take solace in the word of God confident that Irene earned her final rest. OUR beloved Irene, Mom, Grandma, and Great-grandma will be deeply missed, but her spirit will continue to inspire all those who were fortunate enough to know her. May her soul rest in peace.

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