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Rose-Ursula Ann Christe Lewis Howard
June 18, 1927- August 27, 2013
Mt. Vernon, New York- Long Beach, California
Rose-Ursula Ann Christe was born in Mt. Vernon, New York on June 18, 1927 to Clarence Cornelius Christe and Helen Marie Reid. Her father was a walking beat cop in New York City, he met Helen Reid, the daughter of Irish immigrants on the train from Mt.Vernon to New York City. They fell in love and got married. Clarence and Helen settled in Mt. Kisco, New York where Ursula grew up with her brother Clarence Christe, Jr., currently residing in Juno Beach, Florida. Ursula's brother at 88 years old survives her loss —he is supported by his loving wife Marguerite and their numerous children and grandchildren.
Being a natural carrot-top with very bright red hair and freckles, Ursula did not like being called "Rosie" and dropped that part of her name before she was ten years old. Raised in a strict Catholic home, Ursula attended all Catholic schools until her graduation from high school. Her love for the Catholic church, Latin, reciting the Rosary, and the Catholic mass were her most personal and valued lifelong devotions. Her faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were as unwavering as her love for the Virgin Mary. Ursula was a true believer in Christ whose faith was never shaken despite the difficult life circumstances she faced.
Ursula first married at 18 years old, and sadly her first husband, Norbert Lewis passed away at a young age, leaving her a childless widow at 39 years old. Only four short months after her first love's death, she was fortunate to find a second and equally great love of her life, and married Ernest Eugene Howard on September 6, 1964.
With Gene (as he was known by family and friends) Ursula quickly had her first child slightly over a year after they married. She quickly had a second child 13 months later. Her second husband suffered a serious car crash and subsequent amputation and months in a coma in 1967, but together Ursula and he still went on to build a life and raise their children together. She is survived today by both of her children, Timothy Eugene Howard and Jeanine Marie Birong; and Jeanine's husband, Mark Birong; and her grandchildren, Anthony Eugene Birong and Sarah Camille Birong.
Ursula loved camping and the outdoors. She spent many years as a Girl Scout Leader and many of her closest and best life-long friends were made as a Girl Scout Leader during the 70's in Glendale Heights, Illinois. She had a wacky sense of humor and loved to sing and dance. She had grown up in a musical household and had a beautiful soprano singing voice. She adored the disco era and loved the changing times that the music the 60's and 70's wrought. None the less, her favorites remained the oldies, and the classics. She grew up singing Irish and WWI drinking songs and never tired of their simple and sad beauty. But by far her favorite tune was the Ave Maria by Schubert.
Ursula lost Gene in 2000 and was never the same after that. She was no longer able to adventure with him at sea aboard their boat the Poco Loco, nor ever again on one of their fabtastically themed road trips around the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
On August 27, 2013 Ursula Ann Howard joined her loving husband at rest. She passed away in Long Beach, California after suffering a severe stroke in late April. The family is planning to celebrate her rejoining her husband on their 49th wedding anniversary. The voyage to inter Ursula Ann Howard with her husband, Ernest Eugene Howard departs from Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach CA at 6pm on September 6th, 2013. A private reception for family and friends is planned at Parker's Lighthouse, Shoreline Village Long Beach at 7:30pm. Please RSVP Jeanine Birong (562) 743-2029.
