James Howard

With deep sorrow the family announces the passing of James M. (Jim) Howard on November 16.
Jim was born on July 24, 1923, in Royal Oak, Michigan to Helen M. and Harold H. Howard. He spent most of his childhood in Goshen, Indiana, and appeared in a National Geographic photo of young boys swimming there in 1936. He attended Purdue University as an engineering student before joining the Navy where he became a pilot flying night torpedo missions in the South Pacific in World War II. After the war he went to Reno, Nevada, graduating from the University of Nevada in 1951. Shortly before graduation he met his wife to be, Vicky, when he saw her walking past his work place and told his coworkers he would marry her. They had plans to elope to Virginia City but a large snowstorm closed the historic town and so the married in Carson City. When they moved to California in 1955 he worked in aerospace engineering at Marquart’s Air Space Travel Research Organization where he originated the Resisto jet and was invited to speak internationally about the concept. After leaving Marquart he worked for the Atomics International division in North American Rockwell until his retirement in 1984. Upon retiring he and his wife made a month long trip to Egypt(visiting the tombs of the Pharohs, Temple of Karnak, Aswan, and the famous hotel Catarack), Italy, Greece, Switzerland and Austria.
Later they travelled to Germany where they met Vicki’s Grandmother’s lost family, Russia, Poland, Czechoslavakia and Yugoslavia before the fall of communism, Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Chile. A highlight was Machu Pichu. They spent a month in Australia and New Zealand where they were hosted by a family whose acquaintance they made during the 1984 Olympics.
An avid reader, historian and crossword puzzle addict, Jim also enjoyed politics, social and tournament bridge, golf (where he scored a double eagle), swimming, snow and water skiing, and travelling. He enjoyed travelling most of all with his wife and children. In later years annual trips to Williamsburg where he enjoyed talking with historical character portrayers, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and the Marquis de Lafayette, and to Kauai to read, rest watch the waves and feed the birds were his favorites. He suffered a stroke in Hawaii September 24 and was hospitalized there and in Simi Valley until his passing November 16.
He was a gentleman in every sense of the word, an honest man, who loved his family and would do anything for them. Words cannot adequately express the family’s sense of loss.
Jim is survived by his wife of 63 years, Vicky; sons, Michael (wife Ellen), Sean(wife Diane) and daughter, Heather. Grandchildren James, Brian(wife Katie), Laura, Matthew, Allison, and great grandson, Westyn.
The family would like to thank Doctors Caesar Julian, Dan Takeda, Gurdip Flora, Harris Wasser and David Karlin for the compassionate care they gave Jim over his many years as well as staff at Wilcox Hospital in Lihue, Hawaii, and Simi Valley Hospital, especially Kim Milstein.
A gathering for family and friends is planned for December 6.