Charles W. Howard II ’54 died on November 5, 2020 in Naples, Florida. 

(The following was published by the Boston Globe on November 9, 2020)

Charles “Skip” Woodbury Howard II died peacefully in Naples, FL, at the age of 88 on Thursday, November 5, 2020. Skip was born in Concord , NH, to Woodbury and Jane (Graves) Howard. He leaves behind his wife, Dorothy “Dolly” Hall Howard, and his brother, Jonathan A. Howard, and his wife, MaryLou, along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jane “Cherry” Howard Fenton, in June 2020. Skip resided in Naples, Florida, and formerly of Moultonborough, NH. Skip’s high school years were spent at Concord High School in Concord, NH, and Vermont Academy, graduating in 1950. He went on to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. At Bowdoin, Skip was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and excelled in hockey and tennis graduating in 1954. He remained a proud “polar bear.” He obtained his master’s degree from Wesleyan in 1968. Skip taught and coached hockey and tennis at The New Hampton School in New Hampton, NH, from 1957-1968. He was a member of the mathematics department. New Hampton awards its top male and female athlete each year with the Skip Howard Athletic Award. He continued teaching and coaching at St George’s School in Newport, RI, from 1968 until his retirement in 1997. His responsibilities expanded to include athletic director. St. George’s honored him by naming an ice rink for him. Skip’s greatest love was tennis. He was a master teaching pro. He instructed at numerous clubs, gave clinics at Junior Development programs with Don Budge and umpired several professional tennis matches. Skip was a member of the New England Professional Tennis Association, the U.S. Professional Tennis Association, The Professional Tennis Registry, and the U.S. Racquet Association. Skip was a founding father of the Independent School League (ISL). The ISL named their tennis sportsmanship award after him. Among his other honors were the Outstanding Scholastic Coach of the Year from the New England division of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association and the 1986 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council’s Distinguished Service Award for enthusiasm, dedication, leadership and vision. Skip was inducted into both New Hampton and St George’s athletic halls of fame. In the classroom, on the court, on the ice or on a field, many will remember him as a task-master driven by his unending desire to bring out the best in the students and athletes he encountered. Those closest to him will never forget his infectious smile and his silent belly laughs, often leading to tears. His love of life, sports, and friends will be sorely missed.