Walter Howard

HOWARD, WALTER JOSEPH, age 94, passed away peacefully with his daughter Ann Howard and son-in-law Ralph Shine by his side at St. Margaret Hall in Cincinnati Ohio on Thursday January 14, 2010. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Mary Catherine (Shank) Howard of Dayton Ohio, and his two sisters: Genevieve (Howard) Glavickas and Dorothy (Howard) LaPointe both of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Walter was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1915 to the late Martin J. Howard and Jennie T. (Donahue) Howard. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University in Massachusetts where he studied chemistry and physics. Walter worked at The Bureau of Standards in Washington D.C. growing crystals after graduating from Clark University. Later, he moved to Dayton, Ohio to work at Wright Patterson Air Force Base where he was employed for over 25 years.
Walter lived his life to the fullest and was committed to learning. He enjoyed a lifetime of art, gardening, traveling, and culinary exploration with his wife Mary. As a man of letters, Walter was blessed with many life long friends including Heinz Dennert of Rheinfelden Germany who he met as a pen pal while in high school studying German. While in Worcester, he attended the Worcester Art Institute to hone his skills in drawing. Walter often entered contests in his hometown and had his works published in the Worcester paper. After he moved to Washington D.C., he joined a photography club to learn all there was to know about photography. Throughout his life he was consumed with continuing to advance his knowledge in many scientific areas including medical research. Once in Dayton, he worked with friends and colleges to develop ideas to submit for patents. With his green thumb Walter grew everything from fruit trees to orchids. For years he traveled the world with his beloved Mary, experiencing new cultures; cuisine; architecture; arts; and making new friends. Throughout his life he was a proponent of education and service to those less fortunate. He generously supported the works of Clark University through scholarships, The Carter Foundation, Friendship Force, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, The Salvation Army, numerous Catholic Charities, and other deserving organizations.Walter is survived by his daughter Ann Howard Shine, her husband Ralph Shine and his granddaughters Brittany Howard Shine and Katherine Martha Shine all of Cincinnati, Ohio. His sister also survives him; a long-time confidant and best friend Florence (Howard) Sullivan of Westboro, Massachusetts.Walter's visitation will be held Saturday, January 23rd from 10:00 a.m. until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at Church of the Ascension, 2025 Woodman Drive, Kettering,45420. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in the honor of Walter at either of two wonderful organizations that represent his philosophy in life of lending a hand up to those in need: Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD, 21741 ( www.doctorswithoutborders.org ) or Heifer International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR, 72202 ( www.heifer.org ).