Howard Louis Storm

1928 - 2016

Storm, Howard Louis,

December 16, 1928 - August 14, 2016

Howard L. Storm, beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather died August 14th in Smithfield, Virginia after a day spent surrounded by family. Howard was a devoted husband to Donna Phelps Storm for 58 years; Donna passed away in 2011.

Howard was born in Toledo, Ohio to Marie Matthews Storm and Louis Henry Storm. After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo in 1951, Howard moved to Long Island, New York, to work for Sperry Gyroscope. His wife, Donna, joined him after their marriage in 1952. In 1954, they moved to Syracuse, New York, where Howard began his career at General Electric (GE) which included multiple engineering accomplishments, including several patents. After more than 20 years working with radar and defense applications, Howard began a second career at GE Appliance Park in Louisville KY in 1976 where he played an important role on the team that developed the GE Spacemaker microwave oven.

Howard and Donna cared deeply about family and the many friends they made throughout their lives—from their childhoods in Toledo and through successive moves. During their years in Louisville, they were involved in the Compass Club, bridge groups, Couples Gourmet, and traveled with a group of close friends. Howard developed a lifelong interest in coin collecting which began and was fostered by the different coins he received for payment during his years as a young paperboy. He also enjoyed stamp collecting, gardening, and working on home improvement projects. He was active in the church and served as a deacon, most recently at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY. In 2012, Howard moved to Virginia to live closer to family. During his final years, he enjoyed spending time with family, bird watching, church activities at Providence Mennonite Church, and watching old movies.

Howard was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Storm; his sister, Jane Baker; and his brother, Charles Wilson. He is survived by his daughters and sons in law, Deborah Storm (Garrett Field), Kathleen Storm (Stephen Jensen), and Sharon Morina (Joseph Morina); his grandchildren, Kara Weishaar (husband Peter), Patrick Gleason (wife Jessica), Meghan Gleason (partner Steve Blumberg), Kaitlyn Morina, Nicholas Jensen, and Stephanie Jensen; his great-grandchildren, Henry Michael Weishaar, William Storm Weishaar, and Max Jacob Blumberg; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on October 1, 2016 at Providence Mennonite Church in Newport News Virginia. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or Calvin Presbyterian Church, Louisville, KY.