Emmette Alfred Howell, 87, of Huddleston, died Wednesday, February 5, 2020, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born in Bedford County on June 6, 1932, the son of Okey Tell Howell, and Lizzie Daniel Howell, who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by three siblings, Ralph Howell, of Huddleston (1986), Esther Howell Blankenship, of Altavista (1997), and Loretta Howell Plymale (2009) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Polly Waller Howell, of Bedford; his brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Billie Howell, of Mesa, Arizona; a son, Rick Howell, of Roanoke; a daughter and son-in-law, Gail Howell Oliver, and Jon Oliver, of Forest; two grandchildren, Nikolas Eric Oliver, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, and Ryan Nikolas Howell, of Roanoke; and five nephews, B.H. Blankenship, of Florida, Keith Plymale, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Kevin Howell of Davenport, Iowa, Mike Howell of West Haven, Utah, and David Howell, of Roy, Utah. Emmette often went by Alfred, his middle name, and was even called “Pete” by his siblings. He blessed all who knew him with a happy-go-lucky personality. It was only the length of his struggle with Parkinson’s, and the eventual descent into dementia and other complications that blunted the personality that all his friends and family admired. While his loved ones will certainly miss him, they are grateful that he has been released from this long ordeal that has also affected so many other families. He had a long career with Rubatex in Bedford, from 1952 to 1994. He was a proud and active member of the United Rubber Workers Local 240. His favorite vacation spot was the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He took his wife and children there many times – to Rick and Gail’s great delight – when they were young. In 1982, he was able to travel to the West with his sister, Loretta, and visit Edward and Billie, who lived, at the time, in Utah. He saw the Grand Canyon, the Four Corners, where several Western states meet, and visited a Native American reservation. But for Emmette, there was truly no place like home. Upon retirement, he enjoyed a solid decade of “golden years” at the Huddleston place of his birth and upbringing before his illness struck. There, he watched the seasons pass from his front porch, often with a glass of sweet tea. He needed little else for happiness; it came easily to him. He was buried Saturday, Feb. 8, at a private, graveside service at Mt. Horeb Methodist Church in Huddleston. Friends and family thank the Rev. David Bayse for his assistance. The family also thanks the staff at Oakwood Manor Nursing Home, and the Carilion Bedford Memorial Hospital. Family members suggest a donation to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation, in memory of Emmette, at Michaeljfox.org/donate Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.