Howard Hebbard Maxwell

Howard Hebbard Maxwell, 80, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024. He was born in Indianapolis to the late Brigadier General Allison “Skin” Maxwell and Joanne (DeMilt) Maxwell on May 21, 1943. Howard was a 1961 graduate of Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis. He went on to graduate with a degree in Marine Biology from Ball State University, where he was an active member of Sigma Chi. After graduation in 1965, he entered the Air Force and retired from the Air National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988. During his time in the Air National Guard, he participated in many Indianapolis 500 race day flyovers and was fortunate to have piloted the Goodyear blimp,3 but his favorite flight path was over the family home, tipping his wings to his wife and children. In 1978, Howard began a career with Eli Lilly as a corporate pilot and 25 years later, retired as a medical writer. When he wasn’t in the cockpit or working at Lilly, Howard enjoyed extensively researching his family’s genealogy and was incredibly proud to delight listeners with facts such as the Maxwell Family being one of the first 3 families to settle in Indianapolis and how the family was related to the founder of Indiana University. He often engaged with his cousins in political banter and loved to play the antagonist in such discussions. Upon retirement, Howard delivered food for Meals on Wheels and was a member of the Indianapolis Service Club where he held the office of Historian. He also spent many years working alongside his dear friend, Alex. Carroll, to create the Alex. Carroll Leadership series for Tindley Accelerated Schools. However, his most treasured activity was spending time with his family and owning his title of “Bop” to his 5 beloved grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 48 WONDERFUL years, Suzanne (Tardy) Maxwell; daughter Courtney (Derek) Kibble, Fishers; son, Chip (Katie) Maxwell, Puyallup, WA; grandchildren Maxwell Taylor Kibble, Samuel Tardy Kibble, Eliott Joseph Kibble, Parker Allison Maxwell, Margaret Adalyn Maxwell; sister Nancy (Richard) Witham; brother Allison (Victoria) Maxwell; and several adored nieces, nephews and cousins. A Celebration of Life will be held on May 18, 2024, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN at 3pm with a time to greet the family beginning at 1pm. You are invited to visit the website www.leppertmortuary.com to share a personal memory of Howard to arrange a tax-deductible donations to More Than a Phone, 10300 Kincaid Drive, Suite 203, Fishers, IN 46037 or online at https://morethanaphone.org/ Leppert Mortuary Nora Chapel assisting with funeral arrangements.