Robert Theodore HOWE

HOWE

Robert Theodore Howe died suddenly on February 23, 2011. He lived at Twin Towers Retirement Community in College Hill. Born on July 4, 1920 to Theodore W. Howe and Matilda D. Howe, he married Helen Cooper Howe (1921-2006) on January 5, 1946. He is survived by both siblings, Walter C. Howe and Gladys E. Howe; his children, Barbara J. Howe, Nancy H. Bull (David), and Steven R. Howe (Shelley Rooney); and his grandchildren, Alexander S. Howe and Zachary F. Howe. Howe graduated from Hughes High School (1938), the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering (1943), and Purdue University (PhD, 1958). He served in the Navy with the Seabees in the South Pacific during World War II. His 37-year career at UC began as an engineering lecturer and concluded as a full professor. Howe taught soil mechanics, highway design, traffic engineering, and surveying. With no computer to analyze his dissertation data, he used the floor model at an IBM sales office in downtown Cincinnati, where he attracted curious bystanders. He taught UC's first course on computer programming and served as a student advisor. Howe was actively engaged in civic affairs. Serving as a long-time member of the Charter Committee, he ran unsuccessfully for City Council (1963, 1965) and served on the SORTA (Southwest Ohio Regional Transportation Authority) board. He loved giving talks and tours about Cincinnati history. He wrote Ohio history textbooks for fourth graders and seventh graders and co-authored a history of the ancient and medieval world with Helen. His manuscript on "How Cincinnati Became Greater" examined the development of the 9-county OKI region. He was an active member of North Presbyterian Church until they joined New Thought Unity and then Garden Park Unity. A memorial service will be held at Twin Towers Retirement Community's Gulden Community Center, 5343 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati on Saturday, March 12, at 2 PM. Memorials may be directed to the Women's Studies Scholarship Fund for Returning Women Students or the Howe Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund c/o the University of Cincinnati Foundation, P O Box 19970, Cincinnati, OH 45219-0970; Twin Towers LEC Foundation General Fund, 5343 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224; or Garden Park Unity, 3581 West Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45239.