Saundra Lee Howe Howard

                Saundra Lee Howe Howard of Poquoson passed away peacefully on June 27, 2024, in Richmond, VA. She was 81.

                Sandy was born on January 18, 1943, in Cleveland, OH. Her parents were the late Charles and Blanche Howe.

                She is survived by her three sons and their wives: Scott (Kathy) Howard, Andrew (Elizabeth) Howard, and Tyler (Alice Ann) Howard. She also has seven grandchildren: Derek, Devin, Rachel, Joe, Briana, Cara, and Henry. Sandy’s lovely sister, Charlene Selyak, lives in Willoughby, OH in their childhood home.

                Sandy attended South High School in Willoughby, where she was a varsity cheerleader and was known widely as “the little girl with the most spirit.” It was there that she met her eventual husband, the late Lt. Col. Timothy Harry Howard (USAF). She caught up with Tim again while at Miami University in Oxford, OH. They married on August 7, 1965, and she followed him around the world due to his career in the Air Force.

                Sandy enjoyed reading, drawing, painting, and household crafts. She never actually did these things because when she wasn’t supporting her husband (military spouses say, Amen!”) or herding her sons, she was either packing or unpacking moving boxes. After her sons moved out and got married, she made a hobby of caring for her pet boxers, for which she had great affection.

                Family dinners were very important to Sandy, and dinner always waited until everyone was home. She was greatly concerned about family unity, which she prized above all else. It pained her when her young sons would even so much as tussle. These situations required her oft-used and simple directive: “Be nice!”

                She was truly in her element on those occasions when her boys and their families were all gathered in her home together, allowing her to be both the consummate hostess and the deeply pleased matriarch.

                Sandy’s last years were fraught with illness and struggle, but a lifetime with a military husband and three boys toughened her up. As her health challenges increased, so did her grit. She cheerfully navigated her final years with a can-do spirit and little complaint.

                Sandy leaves us with a legacy of love. It was the most important characteristic of her life. She greatly loved her sons, her daughters-in-law, her grandchildren, her sister, her extended family, her many friends, and her dogs. And for over 58 years, she most greatly loved her husband Tim, who passed away just two days after she did.

                A memorial service for both will be held Saturday, August 3 at 2:00 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church in Poquoson, with a reception to follow. They will be interred on a different day at Hampton Memorial Gardens in a private ceremony.

                The family would like to thank the team at Claytor Rollins Funeral Home in Poquoson for their kind support; the Poquoson Volunteer Rescue Squad; the entire Amedisys Hospice 

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