Stephen A. Howland

CENTERVILLE/WEST BOYLSTON- Stephen A. Howland died on September 15, 2025, in his home in Centerville, Massachusetts, at the age of 73. He was born July 6, 1952, in Worcester to Arthur I. and Dorothy M. (Nelson) Howland and raised in Holden where he graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in the Class of 1970.

He is survived by Louise N. (Johnson) Howland, his wife of 53 years, their daughter Cori and her husband Jeffrey Lonnett, their son Jason and his wife Nikki, his beloved grandchildren Cade Lonnett, Elianna and Jacob Howland, his brother Craig Howland and his sister Lori and her husband Mark Drummond, as well as the many cousins, nieces, and nephews of his large extended family.

Steve Howland was many things - a loving family member; a silly jokester; a driven worker; a lover of sports; a dedicated community member; driven by creating/continuing one's legacy; and a skilled storyteller. He researched and wrote several publications related to his ancestry and lineage and said, "Finding a person's full story...is sometimes a daunting task. Their story isn't so much in the documented data as it is in their human experience. To say a particular ancestor was born on this date, married on this date, had children on these dates, and died on this date would be a dereliction through omission. It would be a belittling of their experiences." What follows is a condensed version of his experiences, in his words...

Steve graduated from Wachusett Regional High School; during his years there, he played trumpet in the school band, played church league basketball and performed in fundraising plays for the youth group at the First Baptist Church of Holden. Steve saw Louise for the first time when he was in 8th grade and Louise was in 9th and performing in one of those church plays. He remembered "really liking that very talented older girl." One year he played Tom Sawyer and Louise played Tom Sawyer's aunt! Steve met his friend Larry Wilson at a summer conference in Wisconsin in 1968, and they remained lifelong, close friends. Growing up, Steve wanted to be like Lucas McCain from "Rifleman"; "he was the perfect father, honest, fair, and protected his son, farm and town with his skills with his rifle." Steve firmly believed that "the 1960s was a GREAT decade for music" and "rock + roll was the BEST." His favorite group was always The Beatles, but listed Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Steppenwolf, The Mamas + the Papas, The Association, The Byrds, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Cream as some of the great ones he had on vinyl. Steve and Louise started dating in 1969, after many years of friendship, and married in 1972.

In March of 1974, Steve entered the US Air Force; Basic Training was at Lackland AFB in San Antonio and then Technical School at Keesler AFB in Biloxi. His first duty station was at Grissom AFB (a Strategic Air Command base) near Kokomo, Indiana, where he helped manage the base Post Office until 1977. While stationed in Indiana, Steve and Louise welcomed their first child, a daughter named Cori. Steve returned to Keesler AFB for a 48-week program for basic electronics and computer troubleshooting. He graduated with honors and was assigned to The Pentagon in 1978. While at The Pentagon, Steve had a Top-Secret Security clearance and was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, working in the National Military Information Center and National Military Command Center. It was in 1978 that Steve and Louise welcomed their second child, a son named Jason. During his military career, Steve played on squadron basketball, softball and football teams. He was honorably discharged in 1980 with the rank of E3 Sergeant.

From 1980 until his retirement in 2014, Steve worked in the high tech industry, starting as a Computer Technician at Encode, Inc. and then excelling in the roles of technical trainer, course developer, video production engineer, voice-over and on-camera talent, Customer Education Specialist, multimedia producer, Team Leader and Department Manager during his employment at Prime Computer, epoch Systems, and EMC Corporation.

As Steve made his way up the high-tech industry ladder, he was also a dedicated and involved family man and community member. Upon moving to West Boylston in 1983, Steve devoted his time to improving and connecting to his kids and his community. He coached youth soccer, football, softball and basketball during the years of 1984 - 1993. He was a member of the West Boylston Athletic Association for 5 years and served 1 year as the Vice President. He created "CJ Productions" (so named after his daughter Cori and son Jason) and founded WBPA-TV, West Boylston Public Access Cable TV in 1991 where he volunteered as the Program Coordinator and Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2010. During those years, Steve was the host for many interview and entertainment programs and was a sports announcer for over 200 youth and high school athletic events. In 1999, he was the Cuzzy Mingola Athletic Award winner - a prestigious award given annually to those who make significant contributions for the advancement of youth athletics in West Boylston. He captured and documented many important events in the town and made it his mission to use his talents to celebrate the achievements of his kids as well as highlight all of the things that made West Boylston a great place to live. He was happiest when he was building relationships and elevating others' successes within his community. Steve was hired in the fall of 1997 by Framingham State University to be the Public Address Announcer for Women and Men's Basketball, and for the football team in 2006. Steve also was the PA Announcer for basketball at other colleges, such as Stonehill College (his daughter's alma mater).

In August 2000, Steve and Louise bought a second home on Cape Cod, in Centerville, a "coming home" of sorts from a heritage standpoint; they moved there full-time in 2017. Steve loved traveling with Louise to explore places in the US and other countries and especially loved being part of “The Adventurers 6”, made up of Steve/Louise, John/Janine Bebas, and Larry/Sue Kowalczyk. In addition to kayaking the marshes, hiking on the National Seashore, spending time on Lake Wequaquet, exploring back roads in his Corvette, attending Hyannis Harbor Hawks games, visiting Cape Cod Beer and relaxing on Dowses Beach, Steve devoted his time researching and documenting his genealogical roots on Cape Cod, as well as becoming a member of the Board of Trustees of the 1717 Meetinghouse Foundation in West Barnstable as well as of The Pilgrim John Howland Society in Plymouth.

He LOVED being Ellie, Cade and Jake’s ‘Papa’, and was in his “happy place” anytime he was able to share Cape adventures or “Tinkle Island” with them. Steve’s family - his wife, kids/kids-in-law, and grandkids - were his favorite and best accomplishments; it brought him immense joy to be an active and loving participant in their lives. He was always ready to spend time with his dogs Dewey and Dusty, listen to Joe Castiglione call a Red Sox game, enjoy a good Guinness, sweat while eating the hottest wings, care for his cars, use very colorful language when something frustrated him, and entertain all with his silly antics. Steve leaves a legacy of love, humor, hard work, community and history for all of us to continue in his honor. He left this world in his home, listening to the music he loved, and surrounded/held by the love he built - his loving wife and two kids whom he adored and who adored him right back. Though we grieve the loss, we celebrate the incredible person he was, and we are grateful for the lasting impact he had on our lives.

Per Steve’s wishes, burial with military honors will be private; there will be a celebration of his life at The Manor, 42 West Boylston Street, West Boylston, MA on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 1-4 pm. For those unable to attend, the family will hold a simple gathering at the Wequaquet Estates lake beach, 35 Lake Drive, Centerville, MA on Sunday, October 12, 2025 at 1 pm. Memorial contributions may be made in Steve’s honor to the 1717 Meetinghouse Foundation of West Barnstable, P.O. Box 781, West Barnstable, MA 02668 or The Pilgrim John Howland Society, P.O. Box 1479, Plymouth, MA 02362-1479.