James "Jim" Howe

James W. Howe, age 93, died on January 24, 2014 in Bellingham, WA. Jim was born in Barneston, NE on December 11, 1920. He married Carol Werner on August 12, 1945. Jim received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska and his master’s degrees from American University and Harvard University, where also completed course work for his PhD.
Jim worked for the US Department of State’s Agency for International Development until 1972, living and working in Washington DC, Vietnam, Brazil and Kenya with his wife (3 sons and 1 daughter). From 1972 until 1979 he was a senior fellow with the Overseas Development Council, when he joined the Solar Energy Research Institute as Director of International Affairs. In 1983 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill becoming President the following year. He and Carol worked tirelessly for NAMI both nationally and locally for the rest of his life.
He was an extraordinarily considerate and gentle man and cared greatly for his family and other people. He will be remembered as loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a kind man of great wisdom and integrity.
Jim was preceded in death by siblings Marian Boetcher, Ruth Pritchett, and Bob Howe. He is survived by his sister Jean Crom, his loving wife of 68 years, Carol, children Barbara (Don) Buckingham, Jimmy Howe, Steven (Gillian) Howe and Rob (Cathy) Howe, grandchildren Liam, Thomas, Carol (Josh Karber), Amy, Christy, D.J., David (Linda), Ruth, Philip, and Grace, great-grandchildren David, Shauna, Jaden, Jonathan and Danielle (Karber). In lieu of flowers, Carol has requested any donations be made to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill at www.nami.org .