David Ross Howard

David Howard unexpectedly died in his sleep from a heart attack in his Fremont home on July 3, 2014. Dave, 55, was born and raised in Syracuse, N.Y. He attended B.O.C.E.S/Central Tech, Syracuse through Nottingham High School, graduating in 1976. As a boy, Dave was curious about how things worked. He was and remained a tinker. That curiosity and the introduction to computers in his high school classes ignited a passion in him for software engineering. After graduation, Dave left Syracuse for the U.S. Navy and electronics schools. He was stationed in Iceland, Pensacola, Fla. and Skaggs Island, near Novato. After his six-year enlistment ended, Dave found employment with Genigraphics in New York and then Orange County, CA. Later, he joined Lockheed Martin Corp. as a senior software engineer and relocated to Fremont. Dave was kind, generous to a fault, affable, and a patient listener. What he gave to his friends—whether gifts or advice—came from his heart. He could be counted on anytime to help someone in need. Forget a birthday? Not Dave. Our birthdays will never be the same. We will miss that call. Dave loved to ride motorcycles. Science fiction movies, PBS programs, music, cooking, jet skiing, parties and visiting San Francisco and Los Angeles were his hobbies. His parents, Ross and Hilda Howard, and sister Betsy Howard predeceased him. Dave is survived by his sister Susan Howard, sister Bonnie (Ray) Johnson, and brother John Howard and many cousins, all of Syracuse. He is also survived by longtime companion, Brenda Rust of Tennessee, and “nephew” James Peters and “nephew” and godson Samuel Ross Peters, both of Pleasanton, CA. Dave also left numerous close friends in California and other states. We miss him terribly. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, July 27, 1 p.m. at Christ The King Lutheran Church, 1301 Mowry Ave., Fremont, CA. Services in New York will be determined at a later date. His ashes will be scattered off the southern California coast in a private ceremony later in July. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Dave’s memory to The Crucible, 1260 7th St. Oakland, CA 94607.

David Ross Howard

October 30, 1958 - July 3, 2014