EDEN, NC -- Howard W. Mizell Jr., 87, died Thursday, July 11, 2019, in his home following a short illness. 
A graveside service will be held 10 a.m. Monday, July 15 in the Memorial Gardens of Church of the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Eden. Fair Funeral Home is assisting the family. 
Born in Monticello, FL, on April 30, 1932, he was the only child of Howard Wilton and Eloise Morris Mizell. He grew up in the timber and lumber business, attended Virginia Military Institute for two years, and served in the U.S. Army for two years in Fairbanks, AK. 
Howard was the owner/operator of Eden Home Supply from 1965 until his retirement in 1985. An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, he will be remembered for his love of nature, his encyclopedic knowledge of birds, his unconventional sense of humor and his generous heart. 
He was married to Zane Ryman Mizell of St. Augustine, FL, for 59 years until her death in 2012. 
Survivors include his daughter Cindy Yarberry and son-in-law Don Jacques of Helena, MT; daughter Leslie Mizell of Greensboro; granddaughter Ellen Yarberry Garcia and family (husband Nole and children Ava, Paisley and Jackson) of Monmouth, OR; grandson Cameron Yarberry of Montrose, CO; and sister-in-law Judy Z. Allen of St. Augustine, FL. 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Church of the Epiphany, 538 Henry St., Eden, NC, 27288; The Salvation Army of Eden, 314 Morgan Rd., Eden, NC, 27288; or Audubon North Carolina, 400 Silver Cedar Court, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514 (https://nc.audubon.org).

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.fairfuneralhome.com