Howard Gall

1930 - 2017

Howard Smyer Gall of New Haven CT passed away July 19, 2017 at the Orange Health Care Center shortly after celebrating his 87th birthday. He was born July 18, 1930 in Washington DC, son of the late John Christian Gall, Sr. and Elsie Grafton Rosenberger Gall of Upperville VA. Howard was a graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, and received a B.A. from Yale in 1952 and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina in 1960. He was a longtime resident of New Haven, most recently at The Towers. Howard had broad interests and talents. He performed clown therapy both as an art form and as a therapeutic tool. He had a unique understanding of that process because of his study of sociology. Howard also embraced poetry, both as a poet himself and in the poetry of others. He was interested in ideas and how they are disseminated and how they uniquely affect both the writer and the reader. He was a longtime volunteer at Fellowship Place in New Haven. Howard was preceded in death by his oldest brother John Christian Gall, Jr. of Walker MN and John's first wife, Elizabeth Gall. He is survived by his other brother Joseph Grafton Gall (Diane M. Dwyer) of Baltimore MD, sister-in-law Dolores M. Gall of New Haven CT, sister-in law Carol Gall of Walker MN, nephews Lawrence F. Gall of Westport CT, Duane Gall of Denver CO, David Gall of Sacramento CA, niece Barbara G. Eidel of Westminster MD, and his friend and caregiver, Wilma Martinez of New Haven CT. In his memory, friends are encouraged to support Fellowship Place, 441 Elm St., New Haven CT 06511 (fellowshipplace.org), the Humane Society of the U.S. (humanesociety.org), or the charity of their choice. Burial will be in Upperville, VA. For online condolences please visit www.westhavenfuneral.com.