John Howard Obituary

John H. Howard passed away at home in Cotati, CA on February 9, 2026, having said loving goodbyes with his brother, three sons, four step-daughters and his wife Lee. John was 86. He and Lee recently moved to Cotati, CA after 37 years of living in Winchester, MA; Jamestown, RI; Corte Madera, CA, plus time spent on their houseboat in Sausalito, CA.

Born in Lake Placid, NY, on February 18, 1939, John moved with his family to Windsor, CT, where he grew up as a “faculty kid” on the campus of Loomis Chaffee School, from which he graduated in 1956. He earned a B.A. from Middlebury College, VT in 1960 and an M.Ed from Harvard University in 1990. John was the middle son of Louise (Burt) and Herbert Howard, and he remained close to his brothers Peter and Steve. 

Upon graduation from Middlebury, John enlisted in the US Army National Guard, married Margaret von Wodtke and began a 28-year career in banking. During his 16 years at The Irving Trust Company, NY he moved his young family to Tokyo, Japan where he opened and led Irving’s office. Later, the family moved to Winchester, MA and John worked as Senior Vice President at State Street Bank in Boston, again handling bank business world-wide. In these years, John and Maggie raised three sons: Mark (Gina), Tim (Sarah) and Fritz. Maggie passed away in 1986.

John rekindled his high school friendship with Lee (Arline Bishop) and they married in 1989. John moved from banking to teaching in the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program in Providence, RI. He taught social studies and “real life” to urban youth from 1990-1996. John created and led the Career Mentorship Program where he paired students with adults in various phases of the working world for a full day once a week. He and Lee began an Explorer Scout Troop to introduce the teens to easily accessed activities – hiking in the woods, playing at the beach, cooking and devouring holiday meals and weekends in the Vermont log cabin John had built with his family. Lee and John explored the country in their camper, making 15 coast to coast trips which concentrated on National Parks and Native American sites. 

With his marriage to Lee, John inherited four step-daughters who integrated easily to form a clan: Kate Mata (Mark); Amy Boivin (Chris); Rebecca Clements (Todd Beran) and Sarah Yoslov. The clan grew to include grandchildren: Walter (Mark); Fritz and Teddy (Tim); Hunter (Amy); Zach (Becky); Caleb, Hayley and Colby (Sarah). Walter added two great grandchildren to the family: Dexter John Howard and Graham Howard. Family reunions took place all over the country. 

John had many interests and excelled in them all. He was a “car nut” and he rebuilt and drove Triumphs. Woodworking was a lifelong talent, and his products included the Vermont cabin; furniture; wooden sail and rowing boats and two kitchens. John gave countless hours to community activities, leading and serving by example. He served as President of the Jamestown, RI Historical Society and led work to restore the Revolutionary Era Battery on the island. In Marin, John and Lee led the establishment of Disaster Response Programs in Central Marin and he served as President of the Corte Madera Lions Club. 

John was a steady, generous man, curious about the world and deeply interested in people. He led quietly, with patience, humor and a belief in doing the work well. Those who knew him remember his warmth, his integrity and his talent for making others feel both capable and welcome.

John was predeceased by his parents and by his first wife Margaret. There will be no service, but John hoped there might be glasses raised and stories told. Gifts of remembrance should go to Hospice at Sutter Care At Home, Attention Gift Processing, PO Box 160045, Sacramento, CA 95816 or IWMF Home Office, 1449 Michigan Ave., Suite 13329, Chicago, IL 60605 (John’s cancer was Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia).