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As I walk into Shep’s Grill on Friday mornings, I usually can see four family members sitting at a table by the door. Three children having breakfast with their dad.  It is Katherine, Ricky and David having breakfast with their dad, Dr. Fred Howdy.  It always brings a smile to my face as I find the table where I usually sit with the boys.  Dr. Howdy always tells me to keep writing as he enjoys my columns and that makes me feel good.  That makes my day!

Dr. Howdy started his dental practice in 1960 over what is now The Hackney, but on the second floor.  He married Dr. Ramsey’s daughter, who lived in Washington Park, Barbara. Together they had three children; Ricky, David, and Katherine and to my knowledge lived at Riverside.  Ricky and David followed their dad into the field of dentistry, and I believe, worked beside their dad. Ricky attended Davidson College and played football until his dad saw that his grades were going down and asked him to stop.  Like any good son of the times, that is what he did.  He was a star football player at Washington High School. He played with several of my counter parts in coaching and has retired.  He lives beside his dad at Riverside.

David is still practicing dentistry and I visit with him every Monday morning to deliver dry cleaning to him and his associates, Dr. Cochran and Dr. Jones. His hobby in his spare time is carpentry.  David does this to free his mind mentally so he can better focus on dentistry.  He also is an avid reader outside the office.  He has a workshop at Edgewater Beach and can do anything with his hands.

Katherine married John Tate, who is a lawyer, and they live on Short Drive where Dr. John and Dr. Dave used to live.  You can see her early in the morning walking from West Main to Washington Park and then getting dressed for work.  She came up with the idea of having breakfast on Fridays with her brothers and dad.

This is something I wish I had done with my dad. Dr. Howdy; you are a lucky man for having your children living so close by and wanting to have breakfast with you.  I am sure you know this!  This is something as children if you are not doing you should be doing.  Spending time with parents is something we all should do more often because they were there for us. Like Dr. Howdy, we all need to spend more time with our children too.  It really makes my day to walk in and see them there!

They were the best of times with the best of friends and in the best of places, Washington, N.C. The Original Washington!

Harold Jr.