HARLAN, Ky. -- Joe Howard, 55, died Tuesday from an apparent sudden heart attack at Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital. He was the Harlan County District 1 Constable for 13 years, a graduate of Harlan High School, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a Kentucky Colonel, a dispatcher for Harlan EMS, and he served in law enforcement most of his adult life.
Howard was well-known in the county as a friendly, kind person who would always greet you with a smile and never walk through a door before you. He has spent the last 13 years serving court subpoenas and warrants and helping to keep peace in his district.
Howard had just made an arrest and dropped off his prisoner at the Harlan County Detention Center on Tuesday when he felt ill and pulled into the Harlan City Police Department parking lot, a place where his son, Tim Howard, is employed as a police officer.
Harlan Chief Frank Doan said Howard wasnt able to get out of his car, and he used his cell phone to call inside the station for help. He was rushed to Harlan ARH Hospital but didnt survive.
He is going to be missed, especially by the people at the High Rise Building where he lived he did a lot for them, Doan said. He never met a stranger, and he was the same every time you would see him.
Funeral Information
Visitation for Constable Howard will be held Friday, April 4 from 1 p.m. to 9p.m. at the Harlan Baptist Church in Harlan, Ky.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 5 at 2 p.m. at the church.
Republished with permission of The Harlan Daily Enterprise.
