Obituaries

Donald Kearns Howe of 709 Kings Way Rd, Martinsville, VA, a King’s Grant Community resident, stepped into everlasting life on January 4, 2025, at King’s Grant Health Care Center. He was born March 3, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the late Donald K. Howe Sr. and Emily W. Howe. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Winfield W. Howe. He graduated from Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. While attending Juniata he served as Treasurer of the Student Senate and was elected to “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.” After college Howe served 23 years of active duty in the United States Navy, graduated from the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and retired as a Commander in the Navy Supply Corps. Subsequent to his military career he became a Real Estate Broker in Rangeley, Maine and later earned the title “Certified Financial Planner” while employed as a sales representative with Waddell and Reed, Inc. in the Harrisburg, PA area. Active in sports, Howe was a baseball pitcher in high school and college and participated for 10 years as a Senior in the National Ski Patrol System where he earned his certification in Avalanche Control participating in several rescue operations during his patrolling days at Alpine Meadows, California. When he lived in Rangeley, Maine he also was an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol at Saddleback Mountain. After the age of 50 he ran in three 26.3-mile marathons all in Pennsylvania at Harrisburg, Gettysburg and Philadelphia. At age 60 he qualified for the Boston Marathon. He was an avid golfer and played regularly with “The Grasshoppers” of southern Virginia. In addition to a tour of duty with the Navy in Vietnam at the Headquarters of the Military Assistance Command in Saigon, he served approximately 12 years of sea duty including tours of the Mediterranean with the U.S. Sixth Fleet and on one such cruise was based at Bahrain in the Persian Gulf serving aboard the USS Greenwich Bay, AVP-41 whose service was to show the US Flag at ports visited in the Middle East as part of President Eisenhower’s “People to People” program. Howe was also a Naval Aid to the Commanding Officer of the Aviation Supply Office in Philadelphia, PA among many of his duty stations within the Naval Aviation community. He also served supply officer of the USS CANOPUS AS-34 while based in Rota, Spain. The CANOPUS was a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Tender serving the replenishment and maintenance of the U.S.’s Ballistic Missile Submarine force in the European theatre.

Howe and his wife, Dawn, moved to Martinsville in 2005 and joined the First United Methodist Church of Martinsville where both were active in many church programs.

In addition to his wife at King’s Grant, surviving are two sons, Scott Kellam Howe of Rock Springs, Wisconsin, Richard Lee Howe of Franklin, Indiana, stepdaughter Tracy Barley of Reinholds, Pennsylvania, stepson Jeffery Albright of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at a later date, to be announced by the family. In lieu of flowers Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 146 East Main St. Martinsville, VA 24112, or to the King’s Grant Fellowship Fund.

Norris Funeral Services Inc. and Crematory, Martinsville Chapel, is serving the Howe family.