Geneva E. Howell, 85, philanthropist Geneva E. Howell...

Geneva E. Howell, 85, philanthropist

Geneva E. Howell, a local philanthropist, died Saturday at Sinai Hospital of congestive heart failure. She was 85 and lived at Brightwood Retirement Community in Lutherville.

Geneva Engelmann was born in What Cheer, Iowa. She was a gifted student and, at age 19, earned her bachelor of science degree in 1935 from Iowa State University.

That year, she married Harley W. Howell, whom she met while working in Chicago.

They moved in 1946 to Baltimore, where Mr. Howell was co-founder of Peterson, Howell and Heather, a firm that provided automobile fleet management and leasing services to national and, later, worldwide corporations.

Mr. Howell died in 1979.

During recent years, Mrs. Howell was one of the area's leading philanthropists and served as chairwoman of the Harley W. Howell Charitable Foundation. She was a contributor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Hospital.

Mrs. Howell was a talented pianist and also enjoyed embroidery and needlepoint. She traveled extensively and had visited every continent except Antarctica.

She was a member of the Baltimore Country Club and Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Before a stroke six years ago, Mrs. Howell had resided in the Rockland Community in Brooklandville.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home, 6500 York Road.

Survivors include a son, H. Thomas Howell of Lutherville; a daughter, Diane H. Mitchell of Glen Arm; three grandchildren; a stepgranddaughter; and two great-grandsons.

Harry C. Primrose 3rd, 84, mortgage banker, boater

Harry C. Primrose 3rd, a Baltimore mortgage banker and accomplished sailor, died yesterday at Kent & Queen Anne's Hospital in Chestertown of cancer. He was 84.

A native of Catonsville, he graduated from Boys' Latin School of Maryland and attended the Johns Hopkins University.

His Maryland National Guard unit, the 29th Division, was activated during World War II. He applied for flight school with the Army Air Corps and earned his wings in 1942.

Mr. Primrose flew as a test pilot for the Army, then was transferred overseas where he was assigned to the 354th "Pioneer" Mustang Fighter Group.

He flew 52 missions over France and Germany and left the military after the war as a captain.

On returning to Baltimore, he married Anne Niles, a union that lasted 56 years. The couple last resided in Heron Point in Chestertown.

Mr. Primrose started in banking with the now-defunct Equitable Trust Co. and worked for a number of institutions before starting with several partners the General Mortgage Investments of Baltimore. That firm was bought, and he later did mortgage work for Realty Growth Investors of Baltimore.

Mr. Primrose had a passion for boating and sailing and owned the Yacht Brokerage Cruising Center in Annapolis from 1975 to 1981, when he retired.

"He loved being on his boat in the Chesapeake," his wife said.

The couple spent winters in the Bahamas.

Mr. Primrose was an accomplished sailor and had sailed to New England and the Bahamas and captained a trans-Atlantic cruise on his yacht in 1975 and 1976. He was a member of the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron.

He also was an avid ham-radio operator.

Mr. Primrose was an honorary member of the Gibson Island Club and the Cruising Club of America and was a longtime member of the Maryland Club and the Bachelors Cotillon. He was also a member of the Chester River Yacht and Country Club.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Cross Street in Chestertown.

Survivors also include two sons, Clay Primrose of Austin, Texas, and Niles Primrose of Denton; a daughter, Carol Primrose Sullivan of Kent Island; and five grandchildren.

Ronald Jerome Bruce, 50, laborer, day care provider

Ronald Jerome Bruce, a retired laborer and a part-time day care provider, died Wednesday of liver and kidney failure at St. Agnes HealthCare after a lengthy illness. He was 50 and lived for many years in Edmondson Village.

A Baltimore native, Mr. Bruce was a 1969 graduate of Edmondson High School.

He worked as a laborer for the Social Security Administration and Westinghouse Corp. before he became disabled about 1985.

He then provided day care with his mother and a sister at their home.

Mr. Bruce enjoyed shopping and was fond of children, especially his many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Fulton Baptist Church, 1630 W. North Ave.

Mr. Bruce is survived by his mother, Allie Bruce; three brothers, Robert Bruce, Michael Bruce and Thomas Bruce; and three sisters, Betty Watkins, Clementine "Nellie" Johnson and Deborah Ann Robertson, all of Baltimore.