Earl C. Hower

Earl Clark Hower was ushered through Heaven's Pearly Gates Saturday, June 6, 2020 after over 92 colorful and mostly healthy years. Born Tuesday November 29, 1927 in Paxinos, PA, Earl was a stoic and contemplative man of few words. On his last Earthly day, he proclaimed, "I have had an enjoyable life."

Earl's wicked booming laugh and animated storytelling will be missed but not forgotten. We believe he made more of an impression on people than he ever understood, which is evident by the many nicknames he earned over the years: "Henry the 8th" and "Big E." An all-time favorite, which he dubbed himself, was "Earl the Pearl."

Earl's early life included time on his Grandad's farm where he worked hard and enjoyed his Grandmother's home cooking. He spoke about the memories fondly, cherishing them dearly throughout his life.

He graduated from Camp Hill School where he played on the 1944 undefeated Lion's football team. After, Earl did a tour in the Navy and served in Guam at the end of WWII. He relayed that the food was good, but the coffee was terrible. After his service, he attended Kiski Prep and then Penn State University. Earl was a PSU football two-year starter playing both ways for Rip Engle and graduating with a Degree in Agriculture.

After college, he continued to build his life and family in South Central PA, where he remained until his passing in Mechanicsburg. His professional life consisted of a career in residential, and then commercial, real estate.

Earl's passions were simple: agriculture, hunting, good food, a nice glass of wine, reading, studying history including a strong interest in The Civil War, watching documentaries and spending time with family. With his farm and agricultural background, he understood how the Earth could provide and was always intrigued about ways to improve farming methods. His reading interests were broad, and he always had a nugget of wisdom to share, whether it was from a passage of the Bible, a tidbit from a book on philosophy, a lesson from history or a message from a biography.

He was an avid hunter and it was his membership at the West Branch Hunting Club that provided him some of his favorite camp memories. He would glow telling stories of the camaraderie he felt there and cherished his relationships with fellow West Branch members. He especially looked forward to a game of Gin Rummy next to a roaring fire. They say, "A man gets one good hunting dog in his life," and Earl's bird-dog, Britta, was just that. He rescued her from destruction and she fiercely protected him in return and provided years of excellent hunting.

Overall, Earl's family was by far his greatest pride. He would smile from ear-to-ear and shake his head to proclaim how lucky he was when talking about them. Earl's loved ones will miss him dearly. He is survived by his younger brother, Fred Hower of Camp Hill, PA, his eldest daughter Kimberly (Hower) Butler (spouse David Butler) of Tulsa, OK, son Bruce Hower (spouse Leanne Via) of Mechanicsburg, PA, youngest daughter Megan (Hower) Buffington (spouse Jim Buffington) of Camp Hill, PA, former daughter in law Linda Fite of Dauphin, PA, and his grandchildren Lindsey (Buffington) Mishkin of Jacksonville, FL, David Horn of Tulsa, OK, Quinn Buffington of Camp Hill, PA, Matthew Fidler of Mechanicsburg, PA and Tarique Via of Mechanicsburg, PA.

Due to Covid circumstances the family will celebrate Earl's life in private but ask that In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted in his honor by the West Branch Hunting Club to continue his vision to promote the ethical and sustainable management of our forest and habitat. Please send donations to: WBHC PO Box 191, Woolrich, PA 17779.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Earl C. Hower, please visit our floral store.