Howard was born on June 30, 1947, in Colorado Springs. He was Barbara Knapps brother and son to Charlotte and Ted Wells.
When his generation was called to serve, he stepped forward. He entered the United States Navy in the late 1960s and served aboard the USS Yosemite (AD-19), a destroyer tender whose mission was to keep frontline ships repaired, supplied, and ready for combat. Yosemite’s work—during both peace and tension—directly supported the nation’s security, freedom, and the safety of Americans at home and abroad. Howard carried his part of that burden.
He served primarily in the Mid-Atlantic, working out of Norfolk and Newport News. Like many young sailors of that era, he hitchhiked long distances whenever he had the chance—sometimes to visit his parents, Ted and Charlotte Wells, and to see his wife with whom he later raised two sons. It was a different time: servicemen in uniform were picked up without hesitation, and this was simply how they got home.
When his active-duty enlistment ended, he continued for two additional years in the Navy Reserve. He didn’t walk away when his obligation was complete. Remaining on call was his choice. Service was part of who he was.
After the Navy, Howard settled in Meadville, Pennsylvania. And like most who serve, his commitment to helping others didn’t end when the uniform came off. From 1975 to 1978, he volunteered with the Crawford County Rescue Squad—including water-rescue operations. His son recalls among many things him explaining how to read a river, how currents work, and how to stay safe around moving water. These were lessons learned from experience, not theory.
He lived quietly, worked hard, and carried the same values he had brought to the Navy: steadiness, integrity, and responsibility. He left this world too early, but his legacy didn’t leave with him. His two sons Jason and Steve are now grown and married, and his two granddaughters are being raised with the same moral backbone that defined Howard’s life.
Howard didn’t talk about service. He lived it—first in uniform, then in his community, and ultimately through the family he shaped.