Obituary posted by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home.
Cale Howard
Cale Alvis Howard was taken from us on Friday, December 27, 2013. He was a bright, shining young talent with more potential than any one young man should have had a right to have. He chose to share those gifts in a loving and thoughtful way with all of those lucky enough to come within his circle of friends and acquaintances.
Cale was a writer, a musician, a deep thinker, a problem solver, and the possessor of a wickedly sharp sense of humor. A conversation with him could quickly veer from philosophy to literature to hip-hop to a raucously naughty joke.
Cale was born in Austin, Texas on December 18, 1995 to Peggy Jenkins Howard and Mark Lee Howard, joining his older brothers Bram and Satchel, as well as a menagerie of pets, in the happy family home.
Cale’s biggest difficulty in his younger years was his fierce desire to be able to do everything his considerably older brothers could do. He would fight like a tiger to be with them, act like them, talk like them, and slavishly defend everything they liked, from their music to their politics.
Over time, though, Cale became his own man. He still adored and admired Bram and Satchel, but his intellect eventually led him to his own passions and interests.
As a senior in high school, Cale was fully formed in his pursuits and tastes, which included performing as an award-winning baritone sax player in Vandegrift High School’s elite wind ensemble. Cale was also a team leader in the marching band, offering leadership and wisdom far beyond his age. Moreover, he loved Hip-hop music and over the years he gathered all the information he could on the genre and even started developing his own contributions.
Perhaps most importantly, Cale had begun to develop as a truly talented writer. He hoped to pursue writing as a profession, following in the shoes of his grandfather, Alvis Howard. The essays Cale wrote for college entrance, which sadly will never be submitted because of his tragic and untimely death, demonstrated an intellect and talent astounding for someone who was only 18 years old.
While Cale’s venerated older brothers attended college close to home, Cale once again showed his unique take on life by declaring that he intended to pursue a school far away just to have a different experience. Cale had plans to attend Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
Cale is survived by his father, Mark, and his brothers, Bram and Satchel. He had recently adopted a Bengal cat he named “Gonzo” (an homage to writer Hunter S. Thompson), and Gonzo continues to search for the young man whose room he shared.
Cale’s life will be celebrated, along with that of his mother Peggy, in a service at Austin Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2014. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Cale’s memory to the American Cancer Society or the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).