BANGOR – John Eric Howard, 74, passed away peacefully Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, at a Bangor hospital. He was born Dewey Jack Howard, July 2, 1935, in the small town of Gadsden in rural Northeast Alabama, the son of Leon D. and Kathryn (Woodard) Howard, and he jokingly said that this made him a “Yankee.” At age 16, he ran away from home and joined the Navy, where he received medical training and earned the rank of hospital corpsman first class. He honorably served in this capacity for 24 years. He was a veteran of the wars in Korea and Vietnam, and saw tours of duty in the Mediterranean and elsewhere and especially enjoyed his time stationed near Naples, Italy. Upon returning to the United States, he earned a master of business administration from Boston University and a master of divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, Mass. In his retirement, John was a small aircraft pilot, a serious Ham radio operator, an avid reader and a biblical scholar. For more than 30 years, John was devout member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Bangor, and is survived by his friends and family of the church. Friends may visit 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 299 Union St., Bangor, where a Trisagion service will begin 6:30 p.m. A service will be celebrated 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 90 Sanford St., Bangor, with the Rev. Adam Metropoulos, presbyter, presiding. Interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, Winterport. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 90 Sanford St., Bangor, ME 04401.
JOHN ERIC HOWARD
