Maxine Fay (Lofton) Howell

Maxine F. Howell, 87, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend passed away peacefully in Oceanside, CA with her family. 

Services will be held at Udall United Methodist Church, 305 So. Church St., Udall, KS on July 6, 2019 at 10:00 AM. Following the service will be the burial at the Udall Cemetery and a gathering at the Udall Community Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, contributions may be left in care of the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Winfield.

When people think of Maxine, they invariably think of kindness and her positive outlook on life.  She cherished her family and friends and spread love to all she met.   Maxine was born in Perkins, Oklahoma to Everett and Mary Lofton.  She grew up on farms in Oklahoma and Kansas with her five siblings, including her twin brother Max.  She learned all the skills of a farm girl, and developed a love of music, playing the mandolin and singing with her guitar playing father.  After graduating from Udall High School in 1950, she married her high school sweetheart George Seaman and had two girls, Pamela and Patsy.   In 1961 job opportunities took them to California where she met some of her lifelong friends through her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi.   Although she sometimes worked outside the home, her focus was always on her family, sewing dresses for her girls, cooking and baking. Family vacations took them camping throughout the Southwest, with Christmas or summer trips to Kansas, and business trips to resorts in California, Hawaii and the Bahamas. 

After the sudden loss of her husband in 1971, Maxine found a new love in Thomas Howell.  Together they moved to San Clemente where she launched a successful real estate career.  In 1976 they moved to Boise, Idaho where they enjoyed golf, fishing, and all the beauty that Idaho has to offer.  When her first grandchild was born, Maxine and Tom returned to Southern California where Maxine spent many happy days with her grandchildren Anthony and Alisha. Retirement brought Maxine and Tom the opportunity to travel the U.S. in their fifth wheel camper, the “Howell Hilton” visiting family and friends all over the United States.  Shortly after returning to Boise to retire, Tom passed away.  In order to be near to her daughters, Maxine moved to a condo at Marina Towers, overlooking the Oceanside Harbor where she enjoyed the beach life and met her final life partner, Leslie Cross. Together they enjoyed many dances, social activities, exercising, attending Lighthouse Christian Church, Maxine’s sorority events and many family gatherings.  Blessed with good health and an adventurous spirit, Maxine continued to enjoy traveling with her family and friends on numerous trips and cruises.  It is quite fitting that in life she collected angels, as she was our angel on earth.  It is with great sorrow that we announce her passing, and pray she has joined the great choir of angels in heaven. 

She leaves behind her youngest sister Margaret Mantz, daughter Pamela Ferry and son-in-law Henry Ferry, daughter Patsy Vasquez and son-in-law Raul Vasquez, and grandchildren Anthony and Alisha Vasquez.  She is preceded in death by George Seaman, Thomas Howell and Leslie Cross, her parents, her brothers Max and Glendle, and sisters Lodean Klein and Mary Ruth Booth.

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