Howard Walker Jobe, formerly of Rutherfordton, died Sunday morning, 1 August, at Mary Black Memorial Hospital in Spartanburg. Born 24 May 1928 in Mebane, NC, Howard was the fourth child, the only son, and the only surviving child of the late Cicero Graham and Clara Odell Walker Jobe. After military service with the 11th Airborne Division in Japan following the conclusion of WWII, Howard attended N. C. State University, receiving a B.S. degree in Textiles in 1951. He then began an almost 50-year career in textile management and chemical sales, a career that took him from Greenville, SC to Rocky Mount, NC, to Spartanburg, and then to Stonecutter Mills in Rutherfordton. While much of his career required extensive travel throughout the South, the constant in his life was his 51-year marriage to Evelyn West Jobe of Spartanburg and Rutherfordton, who preceded him in death. While in Rutherfordton he was a frequent volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and was a long-time member and officer of the Kiwanis Club. He was recognized as Kiwanian of the Year in 1998 and was a George W. Hixson Fellow. After his retirement , he attained his Master Gardener certification through Isothermal Community College. He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law: Patrick Jobe and Andrea Wayda of Westfield, NJ; Steve and Terry Jobe of Hanover, IN; and Andrew and Tracey Jobe of Duncan, SC. A grandson, Phillip Jobe, lives in Hanover, IN and attends Tulane University in New Orleans. Arrangements for memorial Services are being handled by McMahan's Funeral Home of Rutherfordton, NC. The family will receive friends at McMahan's on Wednesday, August 4 at 10:00 AM. A service will follow at 11:00 AM in the McMahan Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial donations to Habitat for Humanity of Rutherford County.