Minnie Singletary Howie

Minnie Singletary Howie, 87, of Fayetteville, passed away on Sunday, February 24, 2019. She was born on November 7, 1931 to Elizabeth Gibson and Nathan Wilbur Singletary, Sr. of Tar Heel, NC. She born into a loving family with two brothers and two sisters. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Nathan (Nymph) Singletary, Roger Singletary, and sister, Althea Brisson. She is survived by her sister, Sara Taylor of Bladenboro.

Minnie is survived by her husband of 64 years, Robert F. Howie, Sr. (Bobby). She also is survived by her sons, Robert Howie, Jr., Samuel Howie, and Nathan Howie and wife, Mary Lynn, all of Fayetteville. Minnie has two grandchildren, Lillian Howie and Benjamin Howie, whom she loved dearly.

Growing up in Tar Heel, NC in the 30’s and 40’s, she learned the value of hard work. Minnie was VP of the senior class at Tar Heel High School. She was active in the 4-H club and won several awards. After Minnie graduated high school, she attended Highsmith Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1953. While studying nursing, she was active in the Nurse Recruitment Program and helped establish the Nursing Student Christian Association. For over 30 years, Minnie was a dedicated registered nurse at the VA Hospital in Fayetteville. In the 60’s and 70’s, she was very active in the District 14 NC State Nurses' Association holding various executive positions. Minnie won the Nurse of the Year award in 1964 from the Altrusa Club for all of her volunteer work. In 1979, she was instrumental in helping start a hospice project at the VA Hospital which was the first in Cumberland County and the first official in-hospital hospice in North Carolina. After retiring, Minnie continued per passion of nursing by working part-time in the TB Clinic at the Cumberland County Health Department.

Minnie was a member of First Baptist Church and was active on several committees. She was also active with the Highsmith-Rainey Nursing Alumni working primarily with establishing the group’s scholarship fund to aid future nurses of the region with their education.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1st at First Baptist Church. A funeral will follow at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be at Lafayette Memorial Park

In lieu of flowers, donations in Minnie’s memory can be made to the Highsmith-Rainey Nursing Alumni Scholarship Fund at Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, PO Box 87526, Fayetteville NC 28304 http://www.capefearvalley.com/foundation/donate.aspx or to First Baptist Church, 201 Anderson St, Fayetteville, NC 28301. http://www.fbcfay.com

Arrangements by Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey St. Fayetteville, NC 28301

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