Kenneth Francis Howell Jr.

1937 - 2021

Kenneth Francis Howell Jr.
Sept. 29, 1937 - June 29, 2021
Resident of San Jose, CA
Kenneth Howell, or Ken as he was known to family and friends, passed away on June 29th after a month-long illness.
Ken was born in Montclair, NJ, to Ken and Maria Howell on September 29th, 1937. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1961 and was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He met his wife Phyllis, a nursing student, in Atlanta, where they fell in love and were married for 58 wonderful years. Ken immensely enjoyed his career as a systems engineer, working at IBM for 31 years in GA., FL., and CA.
Active in the community, Ken was a joyful volunteer, ready to help in any capacity, whether as a youth advisor skiing with the youth or serving on various Boards of the church or school, or volunteering with Disabled Programmers. Ken held offices in the public speaking group, Toastmasters, and was a long-term senior volunteer at Henry W. Coe State Park, heading their annual Hunting Hollow 5K/10K Fun Run and Walk for over 15 years, and serving on the Board of Directors of the Pine Ridge Association.
Ken loved classical music, opera and enjoyed playing bridge and chess. He was also an avid reader and historian, answering almost any question of historical interest on the spot (especially the Civil War).
Ken loved nature and the outdoors. His true passion was hiking and backpacking with his friends and family. His favorite and most visited sites were in the Sierra Mountains, covering large portions of the Pacific Crest trail and all of the John Muir Trail.
Ken will be remembered for his sense of humor, quips, and his easy-going, caring nature.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; son Ken (Irene); daughters Jennifer and Marguerite; granddaughter Brianne; brother Bill (Marian), NJ; sisters Anita Dotti, PA; Doreen Thompson (Ed) CT; and Kathleen Southwick, AZ. Ken was preceded in death by his grandson Kenny Howell.
Friends and Family are invited to a Viewing held at LIMA-CAMPAGNA- ALAMEDA MISSION CHAPEL, Wednesday, July 14th, from 3:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at 600 S. Second St., San Jose. A Funeral Service will be held at the Center for Spiritual Living 1195 Clark St. San Jose on Thursday, July 15th at 2:00 P.M.. Interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, Curtner Ave., following the service.


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