Walter Bruce Howell 

W. Bruce Howell, 76, of Nixa passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2026. He was born Nov. 2, 1949 in Springfield, to the late Walter Bernard “Bud” Howell and Genilie Jean Kidd Howell Lurie.

When he was 15, he started his lifelong love of clothes and started working for Bus Harless at “Buss’s Casual Clothing” in downtown. He later worked for Buss, Dinger Bell & Shorty Harrison at Har-Bell Athletic Goods. He graduated from Parkview High School in 1967. He then attended Drury College for a year, LSU at Baton Rouge for a year and graduated from SMSU with a BS in Business Management. 

He worked as a traveling sales rep for AMEDCO, a casket manufacturing and funeral supply company. In 1975, he enrolled in the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science and returned to Springfield in September 1976. He started employment with Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Inc. that same month, later buying the business from Lewis Scharpf and Bill Abbott. He continued to serve the Springfield community for over 45 years. He was a lifelong member of Christ Episcopal Church.

Howell married Kathleen Ann Schien on Sept. 9, 1969 and they had two daughters, Heather Kaley and Angela Renee. Later he married Beth Ann Bradley on Sept. 7, 1987 and they had a daughter together, Allyson Leigh. On Dec. 1, 2015, he married Shelly Renee (McPheeters) Wheeler.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his older brother, Marquis D. Howell, Sr., step-father, Hal Lurie, MD., brother-in-law, Bob Middlemas; nephew, Marquis D. Howell, Jr., second wife, Beth Howell and Steve Liebeck. 

Howell is survived by his wife, Shelly Howell; three daughters, Heather Howell and husband, Clint Mease, Angie and husband, Shawn Larsen, and Allyson Howell; three grandchildren, two step-daughters, Austin Marie Wheeler Colboch and husband, Jason and Amy Wheeler; two step-grandchildren, sister, Debby Middlemas. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, June 2, in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home with burial to follow in Hazelwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Help Give Hope, 2733 East Battlefield Road, Suite 332, Springfield, MO 65804 or C.A.R.E. Castaway Animal Rescue Effort, PO Box 215, Aurora, MO 65605.