Passed away peacefully on Dec. 18, 2023, in his 102nd year. Predeceased by his beloved wife Mary (nee Dingwall) in 2007 and eldest son William in 2012. Survived by daughter Joanne Lynch (Robert) and their children Kimberly (Stephen) and Brendan (Julianne and son Charlie), Bill's children Mitchell (Andrea), Victoria and Graham, second son James and children Kristen and Shannon (Jeremy), and third son John.
Born in Arnprior, Ont., he attended the local schools and at Arnprior High, he became the 1938-39 editor of their newspaper (The Echo). At that time it was a mimeographed edition, but he decided to make it a real paper. He then solicited ads from the local merchants and working with the editor of the weekly newspaper, the Arnprior Chronicle, produced in their presses a smaller but real print school paper. He was also a school junior track and field champion.
The following year he went to Queen's University in Kingston, and entered the six-year medical course, which after a few years accelerated to five years because of a shortage of physicians for the war. Due to the elimination of summer holidays, students could not work for any needed financial support. To remedy this, students after their fourth year were enrolled in the Army as privates. In 1944, there was graduation in medicine with the degrees MD CM in the Convocation Hall in the Old Arts Building. After a brief rotating internship at the Kingston General Hospital, he became an Army medical officer and was posted to Camp Borden. There, he was an instructor in the Medical Officers Company at A-22, the place where physicians who had completed an Army basic training course at Brockville, and went to learn some Army administration and combat situations in which they might be needed. By March 1946, he was discharged by choice and returned to KGH as a surgical resident. The surgeon with whom he worked wanted him to go to London, England, for training which he did in 1949. Mary and he enjoyed visitations to many of the sites the city offered (intact and otherwise) and they had an apartment on the 9th floor of the Nell Gwyn, one of their highest buildings at that time. That was all very interesting, but being curious, he became more interested in the details of and about diagnoses.
In his final year as a student at Queen's, he met his future mate, a freshette in nursing science, Mary Dingwall. Each had their own things to do for the next several years, but in 1948 both an engagement and a September wedding occurred. From then on it was Mary and Howard through training and thereafter.
Training in pathology was at Kingston General, the Montreal General, Toronto Western, University Hospital in Cleveland (where he was invited to return) and New York Memorial. His first position as a pathologist was in 1953 at the new Hotel Dieu Hospital in St. Catharine's, where he had the pleasure of starting a new laboratory. Then in 1955, he was invited back to academia in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan. It had a new University Hospital (now the Royal University Hospital). At that time, it had a partial (two year) medical school course so graduates sought openings in other universities to complete their studies. It was just starting its first third-year class on the way to becoming a complete four-year school. The time in the west was interesting (and different). Connections: Mary was born and raised in Rosetown and Howard's father had brothers in Regina and Sterling. A new house was built and a home established, a dog was gifted from close Queen's friends in Calgary and good local contacts were made (i.e., the Marching and Chowder club).
In 1957, he was invited to join the small pathology staff at Queen's as new people with new ideas were being sought to develop a modern teaching, research and service department. Thirty years were spent there as the department and its reputation grew. He was at first the director of the blood bank and associate director of laboratories, and later the laboratory director and deputy head of the department. Specialization was occurring in medical fields, so to add to his general pathology, he took additional training in cytology and gynecological pathology at Ann Arbour and Boston. He was also the liaison pathologist for St Mary's at the Lake Hospital and for the Kingston Armed Forces Hospital before it was moved to Ottawa.
Photography had been a hobby since high school, and as a medical student, he took class photos and photos of activities in the hospital, even photos for a surgeon's publication before the university had a medical AV department. His interests were in the B&W field, both taking and finishing. When colour arrived, he left it to the pros, and on travelling he bought coloured postcards which always had the best scenes in the best weather.
Mary and he planned a new house after coming back from the West. At that time, they had two children, Joanne from St. Catharine's and Bill from Saskatoon. Kingston added Jim and John. Howard did the usual at KGH, service, teaching, administration and committees. He was 40 when he took up golf (thought it was an old man's game, but his children showed him how wrong he was). While he liked the walking and scenery, he gave up golf and returned to gardening, enjoying the doing and the results. Despite many tempting offers from across Canada, he and the family enjoyed living in Kingston and helping the department develop.
On his first retirement in 1987, Mary and he moved into a downtown Kingston condo (Harbour Place) which he bought as it was being completed in 1980, a move he never regretted. He then became director of the private local MDS medical laboratory at 800 Princess Street and did part-time pathology during staff shortages at KGH and HDH for several years. He enjoyed walking to work, taking different routes to see the variety of buildings and especially the colourful changes of nature.
The second retirement led to more time for family enjoyment, in Florida for some winter years then cruises. Motorcoach travel through Europe and the United States led to meeting some interesting (and other) people.
As an individual, he was kind and generous, a teacher who would listen but always asked how and why. Also recognized as a team player and honest broker, he was often asked to be secretary in organizations where his desire for accuracy and tolerance was appreciated. For many years, the Ontario Society of Pathologists and the Canadian Society of Cytology were of most interest.
Cremation has occurred and burial will be in the family plot at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston.