Howard, 90, died April 1, 2015, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was born July 31, 1924, in St. Paul. A St. Paul Central High School graduate at age 16, he worked with the CCC in Aurora, MN and contributed to the war effort working on the Alaska Canadian Highway. Later he was a smokejumper and fire lookout for the USFS in Montana. Howard received his BA in English from Macalester College in 1949 and a MA from the University of Minnesota in 1959.

Howard was a Professor of English at Macalester, served as Assistant Dean of Students in the mid-60s, and retired after 41 years of service to the college. He and his wife were among the founders of the St. Paul Association of Retarded Children

He jumped the 1946 season at Missoula.