Services for Mr. Howard Wilson Lance will be 3:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 18, 2013, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Monroe, LA, with Dr. Tim Neustifter and Rev. Chad Brooks officiating. Interment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home. Mr. Lance, 90, died Wednesday, December 11, 2013, inContinue Reading
Services for Mr. Howard Wilson Lance will be 3:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 18, 2013, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Monroe, LA, with Dr. Tim Neustifter and Rev. Chad Brooks officiating. Interment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home. Mr. Lance, 90, died Wednesday, December 11, 2013, in Monroe. At the time of his death he was a resident at the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home. Mr. Lance was born February 23, 1923, in Pittsburgh, PA, the third son of Homer Wilson Lance and Cecelia Matschener Lance. After graduating in 1942 from Har-Brack High School, Natrona Heights, PA, he worked for Allegheny Ludlum Steel in Brackenridge, PA, until his enlistment in the United States Army in January 1943. He served as a Staff Sergeant under the direct supervision of General Alexander Patch, 7th Army Headquarters in the European Theater of Operation. Following V-E Day in May 1945, Mr. Lance remained with the Army of Occupation and served with the Department of Displaced Persons until his honorable discharge March 6, 1946. Upon his return to the United States, Mr. Lance married Mildred Louise Dodgen, April 14, 1946, in Monroe, LA, at First United Methodist Church. The couple spent 2 years in Pittsburgh, PA, while Mr. Lance attended and graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with an Associate Degree in Design. In 1948, Mr. and Mrs. Lance returned to Monroe where he worked for Monroe Furniture Company until 1952 when he and Mrs. Lance opened and operated Lance Decorating Studio at 611 Stubbs Avenue, Monroe, LA, until their retirement in 2001. Mr. Lance was very active in his church, St. Paul's United Methodist, serving as Secretary of the Administrative Board for 3 terms, choir member and Sunday school teacher with his wife. He also served on the Wesley Foundation Board of Directors and was a member of the Building Committee during the construction of the Wesley Foundation at ULM campus. Howard Lance was active in many civic organizations. He and his wife were patron members of the Strauss Theater since 1950 and they served as chairpersons of the Night Box Office for many years. Mr. Lance served several terms on the Board of Directors and was awarded the Christopher Award 1990-91. Mr. Lance was a past member of the Beautification Committee of Monroe where he worked diligently for the creation of the Landscape Ordinance. He was also a long-time member of the Monroe Rose Society, an affiliate of the American Rose Society. Mr. Lance volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House for a number of years. As a resident of the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home, he served two terms as Resident Representative to the Board of Directors. Mr. and Mrs. Lance were past members of Bayou DeSaird Country Club and he was a current member of The Lotus Club. Mr. Lance was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and son. He was preceded in death by his wonderful wife of 57 years, Mildred Louise Dodgen Lance; his beloved grandson, Lance Dodgen Bright; his parents, Homer and Cecelia Lance; two brothers, Homer Lance and Irving Henry Lance; and nephew William Howard Dodgen. He is survived by his daughter, Myla Grace Lance Hockelberg and her husband Craig C. Hockelberg, Samara, Costa Rica and his grandson Robert Wilson Bright and his wife Sarah, Jacksonville, FL; niece Mary Dodgen Pratt David, Santa Fe, NM; nephew Robert Warren Dodgen Karen, Yantz, TX; niece Sandy Lance, Pittsburgh, PA; nephew Robert Lance, Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Lance was an avid gardener and for many years could be seen tending to his prize-winning rose bushes at his home at 611 Stubbs Avenue, Monroe, LA. He loved to play bridge, and played until the last few months of his life. He especially enjoyed visiting his daughter Myla and her husband Craig when they lived aboard a motor yacht in the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and the Great Lakes. He was a skilled water skier, and enjoyed snorkeling and scuba diving. He and Mrs. Lance were active members of the Cosmopolitan and Big Timers Dance clubs. One of his great passions was cooking and hosting dinner parties. He was truly fortunate in that he thoroughly enjoyed his work as a decorator and his many customers in the north Louisiana area whose friendship he cherished. Visitation will be held at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1901 Lexington Avenue, from 1:00 until 3:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 18, 2013. Honorary pallbearers are Robert Holladay, Terry Martin, Kline Crow, Ford Pipes, Richard Pipes and Bill Kelly Any memorial can be made by visiting a veteran at the NELAWVA or making a donation to your favorite charity or St. Paul's United Methodist Ch. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com
An environmentally friendly option.
Your condolence may need to be approved before it appears on this page. It may not appear immediately once submitted.
Your condolence may need to be approved before it appears on this page. It may not appear immediately once submitted.
Your condolence may need to be approved before it appears on this page. It may not appear immediately once submitted.
Thank you for leaving a condolence..
Your comment has been submitted for moderation.