Erle G. Howery

    Copperopolis resident since 1993, Erle G. Howery passed away peacefully at a San Andreas hospital at the age of 89 on June 19, 2012.

     Born May 5, 1923, in Montgomery, West Virginia, Mr. Howery became an experienced journalist, earning both military and civilian credentials during more that 50 years in the news, publication, and public relations fields.

   After graduating from Hinton High School he studied journalism at Concord College in West Virginia and served in WWII from Dec. 7, 1942 to Feb. 1946.

     Mr. Howery re-enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey.

    While in Monterey, Erle met and married his wife Margaret, a registered Nurse in Carmel.

    His military assignment took him to Japan, Margaret joined him there for a tour lasting almost 4 years. It was there that their daughter Janis was born.

    Previously, during WWII while serving in the Philippines, he wrote exclusive news accounts of interviews with some of the first Americans recovered from Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.

     After a peacetime stint as a civilian writer and radio broadcasting executive, Mr. Howery returned to military service during the Korean War. He served in Japan with the military's Pacific Stars and Stripes newspaper.

     Honorably discharged, he became the civilian coordinator for the U.S. Army's Far East News and Troop Information Publications.

    A post-war writer-photographer for the Stockton record and than the Oakland Tribune, he later became editor, and publisher, respectively, of the former Fremont Times and the Modesto Tribune.

      During the following 16 years (1967 to 1983), as Public Relations Director for the California School Employees Association (CSEA), he received eight National Awards for Editorial Excellence, presented annually by the Educational Press Association of America.

      Mr. Howery later established and was president and general manager of Erle Enterprises, a San Francisco Bay Area media and publications agency until his retirement, and move to Copperopolis in 1993.

    He was the author of "Deadlines and Darkrooms" a summary photo and print anthology of his career in news work.

     Mr. Howery is survived by his loving wire Margaret; their daughter Janis and 4 grandchilren; Jeremy ( wife Danielle), Adam, Jillian, and Amanda, and one great-grandson, Conner.

     A private memorial service will be held at Erle's request.