Bradford Hiram Henry Howe, the man with four names, left us for a better place on August 31st, 2021. Named after our descendant Governor William Bradford the first Governor of Massachusetts and Mayflower passenger, both facts dad had great pride in. A devoted father, husband, friend and civil servant he touched the hearts of many. He will be greatly missed by all.
Born Feb 15th 1946 in Richford, VT a proud 8th generation Vermonter, he is survived by his two daughters – Carrie Barrows and Christina Marshall. They are his second biggest accomplishment, his first being his Navy service at Gitmo (inside joke with dad). With that said he was very proud of his military service. He served in the US Navy from 1963 to 1967. He then went on to serve for 31 years in the Vermont National Guard retiring in November 2004.
His other source of pride, his grandsons Sevie and Barret, Carrie and David Barrows’ sons. He enjoyed inventing games with them as kids and watching them grow into young men. He also leaves his daughters in the loving and protective hands of his son in laws, David Barrows and Allen Marshall. Something that gave him great peace.
In addition, he leaves behind his sister, Patience Willey and his brother Daniel Howe, plus many nieces and nephews. A special thank you to his brother Daniel Howe for his support on this journey. We could not have done it without dads little brother.
Thank you also to Phil Nowell for being such an amazing friend to dad. We appreciate all you have done.
Brad was a constant volunteer to the community – Vergennes school board, Legion color guard, Lions Club and the Grange to name just a few. He began his career with Simmonds Precision in June 1968 and due to his hard-working nature, he was able to navigate over 41 years with the same company through multiple lay-offs and transitions before retiring.
Brad battled dementia for the last several years and sadly it took his mind even when his body was still strong. He moved into Eastview at Middlebury in October 2020 and left an impression on all that came in contact with him. Thank you to the staff for all that they did to care for him and keep him safe.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made in his memory to
the Vergennes Lions Club PO Box 94, Vergennes, Vt 05491 or Vergennes Area Seniors – c/o Jackie Degree 2038 Greenbush Rd N Ferrisburgh, VT 05473. Due to the
recent Covid flare-up, the family is planning a private service. To send online
condolences to his family or for those who can’t attend the funeral service can
watch the video of the service which will be located on the bottom of the obit
please visit www.brownmcclayfuneralhomes.com
7 Responses
Brad touched a great many lives with his calm kind words and his always positive attitude…..the bad jokes were just a bonus!! As a new supervisor at the VTANG Brad was always the mentor everyone wanted to have. The look said, maybe you should rethink that, the point made without saying a word or too much pain inflicted. The honor of sharing a promotion party/cake is something I hold on to – I still have the picture! Some crew in the old VI Shop.
Thank you Brad for all you did in this world – Haven watch out!!
We send our sincere sympathy to Carrie and Christina and their famiies. Brad was a wonderful friend and neighbor when we all lived in Maple Manor many years ago. Please know we were sad to read about this and wish we could ease the pain of your loss. Sincerely, Don, Susan, Stephanie and Kristina Collins
Brad was such a wonderful sharing person and loving family man. He was a devoted father and adored his daughters and two grandchildren.
He and I worked together at Simmonds and shared the same office area for many years. He was kind and also had his own ideas about how things should be done but always with thoughtfulness and integrity. The last time we talked was at a memorial service for another colleague. Some of us tried to contact him as we wanted to support him through a period of sadness in his life. We didn’t know that was the last time that we’d have contact with him. He will be missed greatly.
To me, Brad was a quiet person who gave so much to his community and didn’t expect any recognition for his contributions to society. I can see from a previous post that his fellow service members also shared the same appreciation for Brad’s work and dedication to all that he did.
I want to let his family know that he’ll always hold a place in my heart as a brother. He was truly a gentleman and I’ll miss his smile.
Brad is surely looking down from Heaven. Enjoy your journey through such a beautiful existence for eternity.
I am so sorry to hear about Brad. I worked with him for many years in the Vermont Air Guard. Great man and mentor. My deepest condolences. Thank you, Brad, for all you did.
Brad was such a fixture at Simmonds that when he left for retirement it felt like a giant void in our section of the plant. Brad could always be counted on to lift us up with a bad joke (more often a poorly told good joke). He always had his priorities straight – family first, country and community. His life was diverse, full and worthy of grace in this world and the next. Carrie and Christina – you were blessed with such a father and grandfather for those precious boys.
What an asset Brad will be to God’s legions! Rest in Peace my friend.
Sorry to hear about Brad. Thinking back to all the hours I spent with Brad and the Lambert boys (Charles and James), rabbit hunting in the woods above the reservoir in Richford back in the 50’s. We had some good times and great memories. Rest in peace Brad.
On behalf of Vermont Lions, District #45, we would like to extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Bradford Howe Thank you Lion Brad for all that you did for the Vergennes Lions Club.