Judy Howland

Judy McNamar Howland passed away May 7th at the Middleton Memory Care facility. She was 81, two weeks short of her 82nd birthday. Her room was drenched with south light. Her husband of 55 years, Whit Howland, and stepson, Heath Howland, were by her side. It was peaceful and spiritual. Many of Judy's favorite aides stopped by to express their sorrow and say goodbye.

Judy was born May 24, 1943, in Newark,Ohio, and attended Granville schools through the 10th grade. A woman who never let the bounds of her community keep her from exploring the world, Judy spent her 11th and

12th grades at The Macduffie School in Springfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Tulane University in 1965. She spent the following year in New York at the Katharine Gibbs School, and taught a year at Licking Valley High. Judy's longtime friend Anne Ormond says, "We traveled to California to become teachers in Los Angeles and found our husbands, not our intentions exactly but pretty special." Judy taught elementary school in the inner city for 32 years. And she found her husband.

Judy was good at many things, especially as the wife and mother of a blended family, and as a survivor of the cruel loss of her precious son, Tim. As a strong teacher in a difficult neighborhood, first day-students may have figured Judy for a pushover, but they darn sure got that wrong. Judy had a droll sense of humor and a cutting wit when it was required. She was a frequent Talbot's shopper, a fan of Ina Garten and known for her salads, a quilter, a knitter, a tennis player, a member of a ukulele jam group, and a world traveler.

Judy was preceded in death by parents, Dale and Rowena McNamar; sister, Ellen Ruhm; and precious son, Tim Howland. She is survived by husband, Whit Howland; stepsons, Heath (Joya) Howland and Whitney (Kim) Howland; granddaughters, Mary Jane and Molly Howland; and nephews, Zach and Brenden Synder. Please no flowers. Donations can be made to any honest charity which improves lives, the lives of animals, or the health of our planet. A celebration of Judy's remarkable life will take place at a later date.

Please visit www.McPeekHoekstra.com to share a special memory about Judy or to leave a message of condolence for the family.