George McCollum Howey “Mack” passed away on September 8, 2026, in Waynesville, North Carolina.

Mack was born on August 4, 1933, in Monroe, North Carolina to Dewey Franklin Howey and Isabelle Biggers Howey. He attended Central High School in Charlotte and at North Carolina State University and graduated in June 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. While at NCSU Mack was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

Mack received an Army commission as an Officer in the US Army-Artillery in 1955 when he graduated from NC State. Helen and Elizabeth accompanied Mack to Ft. Bliss Texas in May of 1957, where Mack completed the Nike Ajax Surface to Air Missile school. Mack was honorably discharged from the Army Reserve in 1963 as a Captain.

Mack was married to Helen Boykin Sanders on August 20, 1955. Mack and Helen moved to Waynesville in August of 1955 where Mack was employed by Champion Paper and Fiber Company as a Civil Engineer. Mack worked at Champion for 35 years and retired in 1993 as Manager of the Waynesville Champion Plant. Mack and Helen were married for 68 years until her death.

Mack was active in many civic organizations in Haywood County. He was President of the Waynesville Rotary Club, an organizer and the first Chairman of the Board of the new Junaluska Sanitary District, President of the west Haywood United Way, Chairman of the Board of Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Chairman of the Board of Haywood Regional Hospital Foundation, President of the Haywood Advancement Foundation, member of the Haywood Economic Development Commission and several additional other civic organizations in the region.

Mack was preceded in death by his wife, Helen.

Mack is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth Howey Pressley and her husband, Tom, Allison Howey Francis and her husband Jay as well as Allison’s children, Hank and John Dudley Rayman and John Dudley’s wife, Elizabeth, and Bee Howey Brakebill and her husband Jock and their children, Jackson and Mack.

Memorials can be made in Mack’s honor to Meals on Wheels, 157 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, NC, 28721.

There will be a family service at a later date.

The care of Mr. Howey has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.