Howard Leslie Ramey, 77, of Loudoun County, VA passed away on Monday, October 31, 2022 at Hospice of the Panhandle in Kearneysville, WV. Howard was born on June 23, 1945 to the late Jefferson T. Jackson and late Ollie Ramey in Loudoun County, VA. Due to the sudden death of his mother, Howard's father, Jefferson, was faced with an overwhelming task of raising a one-year old baby. As such, Howard's father's best friend, Mr. Charles Ramey, and his wife Florence "Dolly" Ramey stepped in and offered to raise Howard as one of their own. The Rameys provided Howard with all the love and care a young person would need.

At an early age, Howard attended Carver Elementary School in Purcellville, VA and was there for grades one and two. The Ramey family then moved to Germantown, MD where he attended a local elementary, junior high and high school. After integration, Howard went to Gaithersburg High School before graduating from Poolesville High School in 1964.

Howard then served his nation and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1964 where he served in the distinctive unit, the 101 ^st Airborne Division located in Ft. Campbell, KY. While stationed at Ft. Campbell, he successfully graduated Airborne school. Many stories were told of his first and later paratrooper jumps from various aircrafts. During his honorable service, Howard would earn many distinctions including the rank of non-commissioned officer, the Parachutist Badge, Expert Badge(Rifle-M-14) and the National Defense Service Medal.

After his military service ended, Howard attended Lincoln Tech in Washington, D.C. to study auto mechanics. Many thanks to the Andrew Robinson family for providing a place to stay while enrolled in mechanic school. He used his skills as a mechanic to work for UPS, Trailways and Wonder Bread, where he retired with over 30 years.

He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife, Cheryl Ramey; his children, Jon-Howard Leslie Ramey, Jr., Jacquin Gilchrist (Marylina) and Avonne Collins ( Keturah); his siblings, Leonard Ramey, Jeffrey Jackson (Roberta ) and Jennifer Smith (Ken); Stepmother, Elizabeth Jackson, seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Special thanks go out to devoted lifelong friends, Richard Lane, Lonnie Sims, Jeff Warr; and so many others that have previously passed away as well as the blessed c ommunity friends who provided needed assistance