F. Howard Taggart ’57 died on December 16, 2023, in Salem, Massachusetts.

(The following was provided by Murphy Funeral Home – Salem in December 28, 2023:)

F. Howard Taggart ’57

Marblehead, MA – F. Howard Taggart, husband of Jan (Pickard) Taggart, of Ocean Avenue, died Saturday, December 16, 2023, at Salem Hospital.

Born in Lawrence, MA, on July 6, 1934, he was the son of the late F. Howard Taggart Sr. and Ida Foss Taggart. He was raised in Concord, NH, where he attended Concord public schools, followed by Bowdoin College, where he majored in history and was a member of Chi Psi Fraternity. Howard received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and did a residency in anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital. He served as captain in the Army Reserve following his residency. Howard enjoyed a long and successful career as an anesthesiologist at Union Hospital, Salem Hospital, and later, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. He was proud of the fact that he only missed one day of work throughout his forty-year career.

In 1975, when Howard was chief of anesthesia at Salem Hospital, he serendipitously met, and shared a conversation about cats with a nurse named Jan. They would eventually elope to Naples, Italy, and go on to share forty-five wonderful years together.
Howard treasured his home (“the Block House”) on Marblehead Neck. There, he enjoyed collecting antiques and Marblehead memorabilia, and investing. His faithful early morning jogs on the Neck became walks in his later years and he always finished with a jaunt through the bird sanctuary. An avid reader, he particularly enjoyed historical and military non-fiction, and up until the time of his death, he had an impressive ability to recall names, facts, and dates of important historical events. He was a creature of habit, and when he found something great it became a routine, such as his yearly vacations in St. Barth with his family, Maddie’s on Wednesday evenings, and vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce. A member of the Eastern Yacht Club since 1973, he was happiest surrounded by his children and their families on the porch, while sipping a toasted almond.

In addition to his wife, Jan, Howard proudly leaves behind four children: Blake Taggart, his wife, Mona, and their three children, Allison, Lindsay, and James of Midlothian, Virginia; Adam Taggart, his wif,e Ashley, and their two daughters, Merritt and Charlotte of Sebastopol, California; Ian Taggart, his wife, Maryann, and their three sons, Clark, Scott, and Blake of Janesville, Wisconsin; and Jessica Gerard, her husband, Marc, and their two children, Maelle and Lucca of Bogota, Colombia. He is also survived by his sister, Susan Pringle, and her husband, Jon, of Essex, Vermont; nephew Greg Pringle; and nieces Wendee Pringle-Corcoran, Amy Buinicky, and Ali Leleszi.