Howard New

AZC Howard L New, USN, (Retired) born on July 4th, 1934, in Cedar Creek, TX, to James Alfred New and Mary Willie Wolf, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 20, 2025, in Smithville, TX.

Howard, while residing in Smithville, TX, joined the Naval Service on April 15, 1954 in Austin, TX and after completion of recruit training at NTC San Diego and additional training at AN “P” school and AD “A” school, he served tours at NAS San Diego, CA, Naval Base Guam (where he served on the USS Midway, USS Hancock and the USS Ticonderoga), NAS Chase Field Beeville, TX, Recruit Training Center Austin, TX (where he was a driver for Lady Bird Johnson), NAS Corpus Christi, NAF Naples, Italy, NAS Glenco, GA, and NAS Pensacola, FL. He retired from active-duty service on 5/28/1976 and transferred to the Fleet Reserve where he retired from service on 2/1/1983. His service awards included the National Defense Medal and six Good Conduct Awards.

While in the military, his civilian side was also full. Howard raced cars and pigeons, was a volunteer fire fighter, softball coach, den father, and mechanic, among other things. He loved to travel with his family, visiting a lot of historical sites and beaches, and while living in Italy, took 30 days every summer to camp throughout Europe. When he returned to Bastrop County, TX in 1985, he spent his retirement years gardening, raising chickens, playing dominoes, volunteering at the Bastrop Museum, serving in the Bastrop County Honor Guard, working on Bastrop history and family genealogies and visiting with numerous friends and family. He never met a stranger, and everyone loved listening to the stories he had to tell.

Howard is survived by his daughter, Tamra New of Smithville, TX and son, Jerry New of Santa Monica, CA; granddaughter Amy Williams McKay, USAF retired, (Kris) and grandson Patrick Owen (Kat); 5 great granddaughters and 1 great grandson; a sister Beatrice Plant of Austin, TX; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.

Howard is predeceased by his parents, a grandson Kenneth Williams and great granddaughter Jade, siblings Robert, Luther, Berniece, and Wilburn.

Howard’s final resting place will be in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX, with Military Funeral Honors on Monday, July 7, 2025 at 1:45PM. Memorial service plans will be announced, by the immediate family, at a later date.

The family would like to thank the Towers Nursing Home in Smithville, TX, for the excellent care and companionship shown during Howard's stays (twice) and the Smithville Public Library staff for keeping him with reading materials throughout the years, especially when he was not able to go there himself.

In remembrance of Howard, plant a garden, give to the food bank, work on your family tree, listen to a Veteran's stories or play a hand of dominoes