LINCOLN PARK — A beloved old-school gentleman, Harold Howell was left beaten and tied up at his front door after being robbed in his Lincoln Park senior’s citizen apartment building on April 8.
Howell, 63, died 11 days later, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Vietnam Army veteran worked on CTA trains and buses for over 20 years, his daughter said.
Howell also had an entrepreneurial spirit — he had owned a nightclub, ran a steak burger stand at festivals and installed vending machines in the Lincoln Park apartment building where he lived.
Howell, who grew up in the Cabrini Green housing projects, returned to the North Side about five years ago to retire after living on the South Side. He was living at the Evergreen Tower 2, 1343 N. Cleveland, blocks from where he had grown up.
It was in the building for seniors that someone apparently entered the building and brutally beat Howell.
“My father [was] left in the hallway tied up,” said his daughter, Shene'e Howell.
Howell died from multiple injuries, including rib fractures suffered during the assault, according to the examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide, according to the office.
The man, considered a “young gentleman” despite his age, was known for his immaculate outfits. He preferred leather pants, slick jogging suits and alligator suits to jeans, his daughter said, calling him a “top-notch dresser.”
A grandfather, he also loved to dance and was a sports fan.
Howell’s daughter has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her father.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County, alleges the property owners were negligent and did not protect Howell, according to court records.
A lawyer for the property management company named in the suit said he could not comment because of the pending litigation, though he added his client believes it is “saddening that Mr. Howell died as a result of a criminal attack.”
“My father was happy. He was in his 60s, but he was still young,” Shene'e Howell said. “He deserved to be happy … he didn’t deserve this.”
