OBITUARY
Name: Howard L. Plumb
From: The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh,
New York
Date: December 2, 2001
Melbourne, Fla.:
Howard L. Plumb, 79, died surrounded by family members on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2001,
at the Holmes Regional Medical Center. The cause of death was from mesothelioma
cancer, which is caused by asbestos.
He was born on Dec. 26, 1921, in Potsdam, N.Y., the oldest son of George T. and
Hazel (Miles) Plumb. He was raised in Canton, N.Y., where he graduated from high
school, followed by a two-year degree from ATI.
Howard was a direct descendent of Joseph Plumb, who is identified as the first
settler of the hamlet of North Bangor, N.Y., in 1802. The Plumbs trace their
history back to the 1180?s with the first arriving in America in the 1600's;
Howard was the 11th generation Plumb born in America. Plumb genealogy was a
lifelong interest of his, with much family history having been passed down from
his father.
Howard was a veteran of World War II, having served in India-Burma as a member
of the U.S. Army Air Corp and was called back to active duty during the Korean
Conflict; he also volunteered to serve one year in Vietnam during 1969 as a
civilian working for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.
Following discharge from the military in 1945, Howard started his career in
retail management in Watertown, N.Y., working for Sears. In 1960, he was
employed by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and began a career that took
his family from Bethesda, Md., to Pleasantville, N.Y., Denver, Colo., Ft. Knox,
Ky., Ft. Campbell, Ky., and Plattsburgh, N.Y.; then to the World Wide
Headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and then back to Plattsburgh, N.Y., on a hardship
move to provide care to his ailing parents; and finally back to the headquarters
in Dallas.
Following retirement in 1984, he and his wife Elsie have maintained a summer
home in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and a winter home in Rockledge, Fla.
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Howard was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Helen Atwood.
He is survived by his wife Elsie, to whom he had been married for 57 years; his
younger brother George Miles Plumb; his three children, Sue Holland of Malone,
N.Y., Barb Balcom of Minneapolis, Minn., and Bill Plumb of Saranac Lake, N.Y.,
and their spouses, Don Holland, Tom Balcom and Sally McKenzie Plumb; eight
grandchildren, Patrick, Jeff and Lorraine Holland, Brian and Katie Balcom and
Anna, Caroline and Joseph Plumb.
A funeral service was held at the Suntree United Methodist Church in Rockledge,
Fla., with a sharing of family memories provided by Patrick Holland (oldest
grandchild), Don Holland (son-in-law), Bill Plumb (son) and George Miles Plumb
(brother). Officers of the Strategic Air Command from Patrick Air Force Base
performed a military presentation of the flag at the conclusion of the service
followed by the playing of taps.
A graveside memorial service will be held at the North Bangor Cemetery in North
Bangor, N.Y., in the spring. Howard will be the 34th Plumb buried in
the cemetery and will become the sixth generation to be laid to rest there,
joining a complete line of direct descendants back to the first settler Joseph,
whose grave has an American Revolution marker for his service from 1778 to 1780.
Those wishing to make donations in Howard's memory are encouraged to donate to
the Hospice of the North Country.