Howard Orian Lamb, Sr. of Leonardtown passed away at Calvert Nursing Home in Prince Frederick, Md., Thursday, August 21, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Lena, of Leonardtown, Md., two sons, Howard O. Lamb, Jr. and wife, Sandi, of St. Inigoes, Md.; Kenneth R. Lamb and wife, Linda, of Lexington Park, Md., brothers Jean Lamb of Tampa, Fla., and Richard Lamb of California, Md.

Other survivors include five grandchildren: Irene Lamb Sembello of Blacksburg, Virginia, Sara Cooper of St. Inigoes, Melissa Speed of Golden, Colorado, Audrey Lamb Gamblin of Lawrence, Kansas, and Chris Lamb of Austin, Texas; and eleven great-grandchildren.

Born in Arcadia, Florida, in 1924, Lamb was raised in Fort Myers, Florida and married Lena M. Mace in 1942. Lamb was interested in flying as a youth and took lessons at Page Field in Fort Myers until the outbreak of World War II when he enlisted in the Navy. Lamb served in various training commands as an instructor until the end of the war when he decided to stay in the Navy and served as a plane captain on P2V Neptune anti-submarine aircraft, most notably in VP23 Squadron in Brunswick, Maine. One of his many duty stations included a stint in dirigibles in Weeksville, NC, the last Navy lighter-than-air facility that closed in 1957.

Lamb was a fine carpenter and a great cook fixing everything from bouillabaisse he learned to make while stationed in French Morocco in the late forties, to fish and pork roasts. He was a member of Lexington Park Baptist Church where he and his family joined in 1958. Lamb arrived at Patuxent River Naval Air station in 1958 and was assigned to Webster Field in St. Inigoes, Md., where he became leading Chief. Lamb retired from the Navy as Chief Petty Officer in 1961.

Lamb and his wife traveled extensively, both during his Navy Career and in their retirement. During their travels, they always found a body of water to cast a line and enjoy their life long hobby of fishing. Lamb and his wife Lena started The Tackle Box in Lexington Park, Md. in 1960. The retail establishment grew from a tiny segment of a building on Route 235 across from the Air Station into its own building that continues providing fishing tackle and shooting supplies nearly 50 years later. Both of Howard's sons, Howard, Jr., and Kenneth, their wives and children have worked in the business through the years along with hundreds of faithful employees and their wives and children.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 28, 2008 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where a Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 PM. Interment will be Private.

Contributions may be made to Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 339, Lexington Park, MD 20653.

Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home.