David Sanders Howell M.D.

HOWELL, M.D., DAVID SANDERS, formerly of Coral Gables, Florida, died Wednesday, March 11, 2009, in Bossier City, Louisiana. He was 85. He is survived by his three children, Linda Lee Howell of Plantation, Florida; David S. Jr. and Walter W. Howell of Bossier City, Louisiana. He is also survived by his grandson, Christopher Moynahan of Gainesville, Florida; daughter-in-law, Jamie Glasgow Howell; two granddaughters, Madeline and Makenzie of Bossier City; and nephew Robert Hurt of Miami Springs, Florida. A visitation honoring David Howell will be held Saturday, March 14, 2009, between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Bossier City, Louisiana. David was born October 4, 1923 in Montclair, New Jersey. Much of his childhood was spent in Booth Bay Harbor, Maine where he developed a love for sailing and marine art. He was a professional member of the International Society of Marine Painters and hosted a number of exhibits of his work, publishing the book Seascapes for his family, friends and colleagues in 2004. A graduate of Bowdoin College and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Howell completed his post-doctoral studies in biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health, and in rheumatology at Columbia University. He became the first director of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Miamis fledgling medical school in 1955 where he served as a Professor of Medicine and Chairman of Rheumatology. Dr. Howell wrote his first NIH grant in 1958. In the 1960s he spent two and a half years at the Nobel Institute in Stockholm as a Markle Foundation Fellow. His research collaborations at the University attracted 42 years of uninterrupted financial support from the National Institutes of Health which granted him a 10 year MERIT award for six consecutive five-year NIH grant renewals. In addition, Dr. Howell received four consecutive five-year Veterans Administration investigatorship awards plus four extra years. All grant and renewal requests, except one, were written by Dr. Howell and funded without revision. Dr. Howell's research was focused on the biochemical basis of cartilaginous degradation in osteoarthritis. He authored over 300 papers and abstracts and contributed more than 100 chapters to every major English language textbook and symposium that dealt with osteoarthritis. He was co-editor of Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism and served on the editorial boards of four other national and international rheumatology and orthopedic journals. Dr. Howell received numerous awards including an honorary doctorate in medicine from the University of Umea, Sweden, in 1977; the Geigy International Research Prize in Rheumatology in 1981; the Biological Mineralization Scientific Award in International Dental Research in 1988, and the University of Miami Distinguished Faculty Scholar award in 1994, to name a few. In addition to his academic work, David Howell saw and treated many private patients for whom he provided expert care. His sense of humor and compassion will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Arthritis Foundation, PO Box 96280, Washington DC 20077-7491 or the Miami Rescue Mission PO Box 420620, Miami, FL 33242-0620. ROSE-NEATH FUNERAL HOME BOSSIER CHAPEL 318-746-2543 To visit this Guest Book Online, go to www.MiamiHerald.com/obituaries.