Howard Carleton McCLARY

1918 - 2012

MCCLARY

Howard Carleton, beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away on November 2, 2012. He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Beryl Rolfe McClary, his brother Herbert and sisters Constance (Stone), Roberta (Ingram) and Phyllis (Ross). He is survived by brothers-in-law Russell Ingram and Edward Ross, sister-in-law Barbara, daughter Pamela Strachan, son Stephen (Cathy), granddaughters Deborah Barrett (Jim) and Kate Mahler (Matt), grandsons Darin Strachan (Nancy) and Robert (Jennifer), great-granddaughters Kate Barrett, Sydney Barrett and Kelsey Barrett and great-grandson Grant Mahler. Howard was born on July 31, 1918 to Howard and Agnes (Currie) McClary and spent his entire childhood in Salem, New Hampshire. He attended the University of New Hampshire where he was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Sociology in 1940. Howard enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh where he received a Masters of Science in Social Administration degree in June 1942. On July 19, 1942 Howard married his childhood sweetheart, Beryl Stockwell Rolfe, in the backyard of her mother's home in Bondsville, Massachusetts. Howard enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1942 and was stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois and Fort Benning, Georgia where he taught illiterate recruits. Part of his training program involved the use of the Link Trainer flight simulator. Howard left the service in 1946 as a Captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Following his military service, Howard returned to Pittsburgh and began his very successful career as a social worker helping the poor and disadvantaged. In Pittsburgh he served as Program Director at Rankin Christian Center. He then held a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including service as Assistant Director at the Northeast Neighborhood House in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1949), Director of the Five Towns Community House in Lawrence, N.Y. (1951), Director of the Baden Street Settlement House in Rochester, N.Y. (1958) and Executive Director of Cincinnati Union Bethel (1962) where he served until his retirement in 1983. During his time at CUB, Howard guided the expansion of services to many additional communities including, Millvale, North Fairmont, South Cumminsville and Fay Apartments. During the 1970's CUB opened a medical center in Winton Hills and started day camps for youth. In 1978 Cincinnati Union Bethel was fully accredited by the National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers. He was also very proud of his agency's long tradition of support to the Anna Louise Inn. Following his retirement, Howard became a rock and mineral enthusiast and was active with the Cincinnati Mineral Society. He also became an avid woodcutter and founded the Woodcutters Club at the Springfield Township Senior Center. For several years, Howard's relief wood carvings and sculptures won the resident art competition at Llanfair Retirement Community. Howard also continued a lifelong interest in writing poetry, read extensively and travelled back each summer to his native New Hampshire until that became difficult in recent years. Howard will be deeply missed by family and friends at the Woodcutters Club and the Llanfair Retirement Community. In lieu of a public memorial, the family asks that those interested make donations in Howard's memory to Cincinnati Union Bethel to support the services of CUB and the Anna Louise Inn. These donations should be directed to Cincinnati Union Bethel, 300 Lytle St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Donations may also be made online at www.cinunionbethel.org, indicating in the notes section that it is in honor of Howard McClary.

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