The Rose Institute mourns the loss of Mr. Robert “Bob” Howard ’55, who served with distinction on the Institute’s Board of Governors for 45 years, including four years as its Chair. Bob passed away on August 15 following a short illness.
Rose Institute Director Ken Miller stated, “All of us in the Rose Institute community will mourn this news. Everyone loved Bob—he was a good friend who offered warm encouragement, wise counsel, and good cheer to generations of Rose staff members and students.”
After growing up in Santa Monica, Bob graduated from Claremont Men’s College in 1955. Following three years of active duty in the Army Security Agency, he built a long and distinguished career in real estate consulting and investments, ultimately serving as the chairman of Howard & Howard Inc., a commercial and industrial real estate development and management firm. Bob attributed much of his success in life to being “raised in a family that taught [me] that anything is possible and that with hard work, success in life will follow.”
Related to President William McKinley, Bob had a longstanding interest in politics. In 1980, when the Rose Institute’s founding director, Alan Heslop, invited him to join the Institute’s Board of Governors, he promptly accepted. Bob took an active interest in the Institute’s work and appreciated the opportunity to stay connected with the College and its students. He mentored many Rose Institute students and said he hoped “the students, at the end of their Rose experience, in addition to academic success, can rate their Rose membership as an effective tool in reaching such character traits as leadership, compassion toward others, and long-term loyalty to CMC.”
In addition to his Rose Institute involvement, Mr. Howard generously volunteered with many other organizations. He was a founding board member and chairman of the Discovery Science Center in Orange County, a founding Board member and chairman of the National Institute of Youth Ministry, a board member and former chairman of Homeword, a national Christian organization dedicated to family preservation, and an active member of Mariners Church. He was also a member of the Board of Governors of the Balboa Bay Club and Resort.
Despite his many outside commitments, Bob prioritized his family and was deeply devoted to family life. He shared a 65-year marriage with his beloved wife, Cleva Jo, and together they had three children and six grandchildren.
Always good-natured, humble, and generous with his time, affection, and resources, Bob liked to share Rudyard Kipling’s advice that we should seek to “walk with kings [yet] keep the common touch.”
We will miss you, Mr. Howard.
Another tribute can be found here.