Richard Hunt Howe

Richard Hunt Howe departed this life on Sunday, February 2, 2020. Dick was born May 14, 1930, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, moved with his family to Portland, Oregon as a teenager in the early 1940's, and then Vancouver, WA in 1971. Dick attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, was drafted, then attended and received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Portland with the help of the GI Bill. He married first wife Joyce Lee Simpson (Pike) in January 1951. Dick served in the US Army during the Korean conflict, earning a letter of commendation from his commanding officer for his conscientiousness and devotion to duty. Corporal Howe was honorably discharged in 1956. Dick was an accomplished entrepreneur. While serving private accounting clients and preparing tax returns for many years, he simultaneously held full-time accounting and controller positions for several local firms, including Freightliner, E.V. Prentiss and Columbia Machine. He would sometimes accept payment in kind - his daughters remember a barber as a client who provided boys' haircuts for them, and a client who traded accounting services for a slot machine. Dick always saw the potential in the houses he bought, and then upgraded himself. The house on Royal Court got a finished basement from his labor, as did the house on Chateau Drive. Dick installed flood lighting so that he could work on putting in the yard in the dark after working his day job. He bought the fixer-upper and put in his sweat equity (with Cathy helping!) to make a nice place for his family. His greatest joy was his second wife Barbara, who predeceased him in November. Dick was devoted to her wellbeing-calling her "Beauty". They met at a Servetus dance, and enjoyed socializing with many friends and big-band music throughout their 49 years of marriage. His children also brought him great joy and pride: Donna, Linda, and Susan, from his marriage to Joyce, and Cathy and David, from his marriage to Barbara. Dick learned about the outdoors from his Dad and passed that along to his family. There were many, many trips to Nehalem Bay for crab fishing with his extended family, picnicking on a sandbar island in the bay. He enjoyed taking the family dipping for smelt on the Sandy River, and teaching his children to snow ski and sled on Mt. Hood. Dick would go hunting for deer, elk, and ducks with his Dad Henry. Dick loved the freedom of driving and took the family on numerous station wagon trips to California, Pendleton, Spokane, Idaho, and Colorado to visit relatives, the national parks, and Disneyland. Later he loved to travel farther afield by air and cruise ship to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and especially Mexico with the family. His daughters have many fond memories of those trips, taken both as children and as adults. Dick is survived by four of his five children: Donna Louise McNabb, of Beaverton, OR; Linda June Twedt, of Pittsburgh, PA; Susan Diane Story, of Beaverton, OR; and Catherine Mary Rosenthal, of Gresham, OR. His son David Henry Howe predeceased him in December 2010. He has 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. One of Dick's favorite phrases is "We're doing it!". He loved life and the possibility of accomplishment. He got an idea and went after it. He tried new things; some failed, but most were successful. He worked hard and played hard. In his 89 years, he lived life fully. He will be missed. Please add your memories and photos to the tribute wall here on this site. If you wish to donate in Dick's honor, the American Heart Association, or Peace Health Hospice would be good choices. Please join us for a Celebration of Life at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver on Monday, May 17th at 12:30 PM. Dick will be buried at Willamette National Cemetery on April 9 at 11:30 am.

Richard Hunt Howe

May 14, 1930 - February 2, 2020