Quentin E. Howard 1919 - 2014
Quentin E. Howard 1919 - 2014
Quentin Eugene Howard, MD, 95, passed
away Monday, August 11, at a local care center from natural causes. Quentin was
born in Emmett, Idaho, the second youngest of seven children of Robert J. and Alta
(Sisler) Howard. After graduation from Emmett High School, he attended
Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa and then Pasadena City College in
California. In 1943 he graduated with his pre-med degree from the University of
Southern California. In September of 1943 he was called up to active duty in
the US Army, and then attended George Washington School of Medicine in
Washington, D.C., as a member of the Army while earning his medical degree. The government was in need of doctors for the
war effort so his medical training was paid by the Army. He always wore his army uniform while
attending classes and some Saturdays were spent in marching and parade drills
on the lawn of the White House. He graduated as Private First Class Dr. Quentin
Howard!
Quentin met Margie Willingham while attending the Nazarene Church
in Emmett, Idaho. They went on their
first date to an ice cream shop, fell in love, and were married in 1943
following Quentin’s graduation from USC.
After medical school and an internship in Cleveland, they returned to Emmett
where Quentin started his medical practice. He then joined the Air Force, which
upgraded his rank to Captain, and served in Texas and Guam. While serving in Guam he made a flight around
the world as the on-board flight surgeon. He was also able to tour some of the
recently vacated WWII battlegrounds on Guam and Iwo Jima.
After his discharge from the Air Force and a brief return to
Emmett, Quentin and his family spent two years in British Honduras (now Belize)
as medical missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene. While there, he worked
throughout the country in various clinics and in a small hospital. They
returned in 1956 to Cleveland where he took additional surgical training for 3
years. He returned to Idaho in 1959 and opened his surgical practice in Boise with
Dr. Raymond White. He performed general
surgery at both St. Luke’s and St. Alphonsus hospitals until his retirement in
1986. He also served a term as Medical
Chief of Staff for St. Luke’s and was active in the American Cancer Society,
Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) and other medical associations. He was a Fellow in the American College of
Surgeons.
In retirement he enjoyed traveling with
friends to the desert areas of California and Arizona. He became interested in rock collecting, and
soon added a rock saw and polisher in his basement workshop. He made many beautiful belt buckles and other
jewelry items from the rocks he collected.
He also became very adept at creating wooden sculptures of birds and other
animals. His steady hands and surgeon’s
eye for detail were a great talent that he was able to use in other hobbies,
including assembling and finishing grandfather clocks. Quentin also loved roses
and spent many hours in his rose garden, pruning and tending to the roses that
produced many beautiful bouquets on their table.
In 2007, due to declining health (Quentin had Parkinson’s, Margie
had Alzheimer’s), they moved from their home of 48 years on the Boise bench
into assisted living at Touchmark at Meadowlake in Meridian. They made new friends with residents and
staff and their lives were enriched by the wonderful care they received. Quentin continued his gardening, moving
watering hoses around with his wheelchair to water the flower pots. Following
Margie’s death in 2010, Quentin married Phyllis Hartley Perkins in 2011 and
they enjoyed 3 ½ years of loving companionship. In August 2013 Quentin moved to
the Memory Care Unit.
Quentin’s other passion and center of his life was his love
of God and his ministry to all he encountered.
He was a lifelong member of the Church of the Nazarene and served
throughout the years in various volunteer positions. He volunteered several times to go overseas
and spend time in missionary hospital facilities so that the regular staff
could rotate home for rest. There is no one more worthy than Quentin of the
praise: “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” We know he is at peace and rest and enjoying
his heavenly reward for a lifetime of dedicated Christian service.
Quentin was the last surviving member of his family of 6 brothers
and 1 sister. He was preceded in death
by his wife, Margie; by his parents; by sister Frances, and by brothers Walter,
Robert, Harry, Emory, and Glenn. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, of
Meridian; children Quentin Jr. (Shirley) of Meridian; Marita (Dwight) Douglas
of Olathe, KS; Joanne (Dave) York of Boise; and Ron (Sharon) Howard of Overland
Park, KS; 9 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Meadowlake Assisted
Living and the Memory Care Unit (Aspen) for their loving care and compassion
for Quentin over the last 7 years.
A memorial service to celebrate Quentin’s life will be held
at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 16, at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene,
150 W Maestra St, Meridian (Meridian Road between Overland & Victory). Family will also greet friends at a viewing
on Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Alden-Waggoner Chapel at 5400 Fairview Avenue
in Boise. Burial and graveside services
will be at the Emmett Cemetery following the service on Saturday.
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