BANGOR – Mary Lou Howard died Oct. 17, 2005, at a Bangor nursing home, from complications of a stroke. She was born July 30, 1926, in Kansas City, Mo. She was adopted at age three by Nicholas J. and Celia McClure Pardee and was raised in El Dorado, Kan., graduating from high school in 1944. She worked as a bookkeeper for the Gas Service Company, where she met her husband, O. Wayne Howard, with whom she raised two children. They moved to Augusta, Kan. in 1965, then retired to Garfield, Ark. in 1988. She returned to Augusta, Kan. after divorce in 1996, and moved to Bangor in February 2004. Mary Lou was a devout Catholic. She liked to travel, read and socialize. She had many friends and family with whom she corresponded regularly, and they showered her with cards during her illness. She always responded with sympathy to the suffering of others, both on a personal level and by giving to many charities. She had a big smile and an unforgettable laugh, and won the hearts of her caregivers during the last 10 months with her cheerfulness and her compassion for her fellow patients. She is survived by her son, Michael W. Howard and his wife, Valerie J. Carter; and granddaughter, Emma Howard, of Bangor; her daughter, Katherine H. Boggs and her husband, John Boggs; and grandsons, Luke Hoagland and Wayne Hoagland, of Lawrenceville, Ga.; ex-husband, O. Wayne Howard of Garfield, Ark.; two nieces and three nephews and their children and grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister, Elizabeth Courtright. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Oct. 29 at St. John’s Catholic Church, Bangor. Interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor. The family wishes to express thanks to the many healthcare workers who helped her during her illness. Contributions in her memory may be made to The American Red Cross, P.O. Box 97089, Washington, D.C. 20090-7089 or Maryknoll Sisters, Box 311, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0311.