Howard Gramling Waters

Howard Gramling Waters, 76, died at his home in Oakland on Dec. 19, 2025. He was born in Atlanta, Ga. on Nov. 19, 1949, a son of the late Edward Waters and Celeste Manack Waters. Howard's first and middle names were chosen to honor two Airmen who had served with his father, a B-17 pilot, in WWII. He studied Hungarian in the US Army and was stationed in West Germany. A longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay area, he worked as a valued paralegal for several law firms, including Boxer and Gerson in Oakland. He was an avid reader and a lifelong scholar. The San Francisco Public Library will benefit from Howard's splendid collection of volumes on art, politics, and world history.
He will be greatly missed by his friends and family. Howard was preceded in death by his parents and his sister-in-law, Gail Waters. He is survived by his sister, Victoria (Jack) Goodykoontz, and his brothers, Brian Waters, Philip (Susan) Waters, Steven (Gerry) Waters, and Mark (Nina) Waters. Donations in Howard's memory may be made to a favorite charity.