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Howard Van Zilen III, 86, longtime resident of Brookline, NH, died at his home on October 21, 2024, after a period of declining health.
He was born on February 4, 1938, in Norwalk, CT, a son of the late Howard and Mabel (Mitchell) Van Zilen Jr.
Howard was raised and educated in the Norwalk School System and UConn. He worked as an optical manufacturing engineer for Perkin Elmer, ASML, and Itek in Lexington MA. He made his home in Brookline NH for the past 45 years.
In addition to his parents, Howard was predeceased by his two brothers, Gary Van Zilen Sr and Dennis Van Zilen Sr.
Survivors include his loving wife, Judith Van Zilen of Brookline, NH, two children, David and his wife Colleen (Cole Roussel) Van Zilen of Brookline, NH and Jody and her husband Brain Major of Hollis, NH, three grandchildren, Ellen Major, Robert Van Zilen (Lindsay Davis), Emily (Sean) Redwood, three great-grandchildren (Mitchell, Logan and Ella Redwood), a nephew and a cousin who were like sons to him, Dennis Van Zilen Jr and Michael Reynolds, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
SERVICES: Calling hours will be held on Sunday, November 3, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH 03055. Burial will be private at a later date. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.smith-heald.com for more information.
In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Howard can be made to St. Judes Children's Hospital..
Arrangements are in the care of the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH 03055.
63 Elm Street, Milford, NH 03055
Memories and condolences can be left on the obituary at the funeral home website.
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