Howard Noneman, 94, of Denton, beloved husband, father, son, uncle and godfather, died May 18, 2023. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, May 22, at Mulkey-Bowles-Montgomery Funeral Home, 705 N. Locust St. Denton, TX, with a graveside service at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 at Blue Mound Cemetery (Denton).
Howard was born July 7, 1928 to Joseph F. and Myrtle W. (Brush) Noneman in Dayton, Ohio. He married Margie Nell Burns on June 15, 1951 in Southlake, Texas. He worked for many years in the propane gas business before retiring in 1988.
Howard loved his family, the Great Smoky Mountains, horse racing and classic cars, many of which he owned at one time or another. He could identify the make, model and year of any old car on the road, usually followed by the statement, “I had one of those.” He first visited the Great Smoky Mountains as a boy, before paved roads or hotels, and he was never happier than when sitting on a balcony looking at the mountains. He loved the Smokies to the end, always hopeful that he could return one more time.
After retirement, he found a second “career” maintaining and renovating the family rental properties. He was a master at carpentry, painting, flooring, repairs and, most of all, solving the interesting problems that come with older homes. His motto was, “One old man, one old house.”
He always enjoyed a good horse race, especially at Oaklawn Park and Lone Star Park. As he became less mobile, he watched the races daily on television, following his favorite trainers and keeping a log of their wins and earnings. He was making his picks for the Preakness Stakes on the morning he died.
His dearest Margie died in 1999. Howard is survived by his daughter, Carolyn Barnes, and his son-in-law Jerry, whom he loved as a son; nieces and nephews including Donna Delscamp of Lewisville, Texas, Laura Burkhardt of Cincinnati, Ohio, Dodie Childs of Carrollton, Texas and Tony Hardin of Killeen, Texas; goddaughters Lacey Henslee of Denton, and Candace Luebbehusen of Whitestown, Indiana; and godson Dustin Henslee of Dallas. A special thanks to Kathryn, Jennifer and Joseph at Baylor Cardio Rehab - he loved being their senior patient.
Memorials may be made to the Great Smoky Mountains Association, Gatlinburg, TN.
