Howard Boone

Howard Davis Boone Passed away peacefully at his home on January 14, 2013 at 93 years of age. A native of Iowa, he started his education in a one-room schoolhouse, arriving each day on horseback. He eventually won a scholarship to Iowa State, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in 1940 in Agricultural Economics. Following graduation, he joined Cargill, an international agribusiness headquartered in Minneapolis. When the war broke out in 1941, he joined the Navy Air Corps as the first aviation cadet sworn in after Pearl Harbor. In 1946 he married Nancy Goulet, and after that he returned to Cargill, where he spent his entire career, rising to Vice President of the company's Pacific Rim oil seed processing businesses, which included the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. Howard also loved to travel and, with Nancy, visited numerous countries around the world, but always loved best to return to his favorite beach in Maui.
In 1960, Howard and Nancy moved with their family to Woodside, where he was involved in numerous civic activities in the local community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Woodside Trail Club, as Chairman of the Woodside Town Trails Committee, and as president of the Woodside Community Foundation. He remained an active horseman throughout his life. In 1974 he was elected captain of the Mounted Patrol, and in 1994 he was given the Outstanding Horseman-Citizen Award by the San Mateo County Mounted Patrol. In 2005, he was honored by the town of Woodside when it named a riding trail after him. Howard was quoted as saying "Living with horses brings out the human side of a person, the part that wants to do something to help others or help out in your community."
Howard will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a big fan of the Niners and Giants, who he finally got to see win not one but two World Series. He was predeceased by his daughter Janet Lee and by his beloved wife Nancy. He is survived by his daughters Kathy Boone (Bruce Raskin), Betsy Harms (Steve), and Bonnie Boone-Altshuld (Steve) and his six grandchildren, Rebecca, Sarah, Christine, Max, Leslie, and Gabe.
A service to celebrate Howard's life will be held on January 27 at 2 p.m. at the Mounted Patrol Grounds in Woodside. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to "Howard D. Boone Memorial", MPSMC Foundation, 521 Kings Mountain Road, Woodside, CA 94062-4209.