Col. John Darby Howard

John Howard, age 93, of Merritt Island, FL passed away peacefully on January 21, 2018 with his family by his side. An army brat born at Fort Totten, NY, he was the son of Chaplain (Col.) Willis T. Howard and Emma Darby. John shared 66 years of marriage with his wife Ann, who passed away last year. He is survived by four loving children and their spouses (Judy & Ray Lovell, Darby & Suzanne Howard, Ginger & Bill Campbell, and Lynda Gail & Joe Alfano), 9 grandkids and 15 great-grandkids.

John joined the army after Pearl Harbor. As a graduate from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, NY), John received his first commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1950. He served for more than 30 years, rising to the rank of Colonel and earning the Combat Infantry Badge in three wars—WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Throughout his military service, among many awards, he received the Legion of Merit, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and Bronze Stars.

Ever loyal to family and country, John never stopped serving and dedicated the last 40 years of his life to veterans. As he settled in this beautiful area for retirement, he yearned to make things better for veterans in an American society divided by the Vietnam War. He was a Founding Father of the Veterans Memorial Center on Merritt Island and of the Brevard Veterans Council, which brought all local veteran organizations together to form one powerful voice. Both are an enduring testament to John’s passion for serving others.

John will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His life will be celebrated with family and friends at services held on Saturday, February 10th at Wylie Baxley Funeral Home, Merritt Island, FL.

If you would like to make a donation in John's honor, please support local veterans and “make a difference” at VeteransMemorialCenter.org.