Richard "Dick" Howard, 73, of Lucasville, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, at SOMC Hospice.
He was born Nov. 10, 1939, in Portsmouth, a son of the late Richard W. and Edith Fetters Howard. Dick was happily married to Joyce Ann Mann Howard for 52 years.
He was a 1957 Valley High School graduate and earned a BS in Education from The Ohio State University in 1962. While at Ohio State he was a member of both ROTC and Delta Theta Sigma and worked as an athletic trainer for Woody Hayes. After graduation, Dick pursued his passion of teaching, coaching, and counseling the youth of Southern Ohio. He taught and coached at Valley High School 1962-1965 and in the Wheelersburg school system from 1965-1967. He earned a MA in Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University in 1967, and counseled in the Minford School system and SCJVS from 1967 to 1970.
He served in various capacities from the infancy of what is now Shawnee State University including Vice President of Student Services from which he retired in 2006. He served on the Children's Services, Educational Service Center, and Scioto County Career Technical Center Boards, and was an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth.
He was also preceded in death by his brother, James Robert Howard (Linda).
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Ann Mann Howard, whom he married Nov. 24, 1960, in Portsmouth; three children, Richard Craig (Lisa) Howard of Lucasville, Lisa Ann (Joe) Smith of Portsmouth, and Robert Clayton (Janene) Howard of Lucasville; eight grandchildren, Will, Blake, and Kaity Howard, CJ, Lexi, and Stephen Smith, Makenzie Howard and Jordan Gambill; sister, Jean (Don) Smith of Sciotoville; two brothers, Joseph (Karen) Howard of Minford and Phillip (Wanda) Howard of Lucasville.
Dick loved life and spending it with his wife who he adored, boating and vacationing on the coast, and the life long pleasure of Canadian fishing trips with Larry and the "Canada Crew". He also enjoyed golf with his brothers and friends Larry, Paul, and Jerry. He loved attending and cheering on his children and grandchildren in their coaching and athletic endeavors and his Buckeyes.
Funeral services will be conducted at noon Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth, with Evan Fisher, Paul Crabtree, and Phil Howard officiating. Burial will follow in Scioto Burial Park. Friends may call 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the McKinley Funeral Home in Lucasville and an hour before the funeral Tuesday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the SSU Athletic Department, c/o SSU Development Foundation, 940 2nd St. Portsmouth, OH 45662.