Howard Roe Sharlach

Long-time Washington resident and State Department employee Howard Roe Sharlach, 87, passed away February 19, 2026.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Sharlach, who owned Sharlach's Hardware in Bedford Village, he graduated from Northwestern and then Yale, also attending the University of Vienna and the University of Rangoon. Mr. Sharlach was an employee of the U.S. State Department, Agency for International Development for decades. He began his career in Washington as one of JFK's and the Secretary of Defense's "Best and Brightest" at the Pentagon during the Kennedy/Johnson years. He served at home and abroad in Colombia, Guinea-Bissau and as Mission Director in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to name just a few. After his retirement from the State Department, he opened his own international consulting company. He also was named to a Congressional Fellowship in the U.S. Senate in 1976-77.
He is survived by two daughters, Dr. Lisa Boswell Sharlach of Alabama and Dr. Tonia Sharlach Nash, and grandson Michael Boswell Nash of Oklahoma. His marriage to Jo Anne Sharlach ended in divorce.
Mr. Sharlach was known for his love of African art, garage sales, gardening and good restaurants.