September 29, 1949 – May 9, 2026

Lowell Edwin Howard, Sr. (76) of Kennewick, Washington, passed away on May 9, 2026.

Born on September 29, 1949, in Whitesville, Kentucky, Lowell "Howie" was the fourth of eight children born to Celestine Edwin Howard and Margaret Louise Boarman. He proudly served his country for more than 20 years in the United States Army, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3). His distinguished service earned him numerous honors, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.

After his military career, Lowell enjoyed a long and respected life as a civilian, spending two years at Los Alamos National Laboratory before relocating to Kennewick, Washington in 1990. Over the years, he held a variety of positions with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, ultimately retiring as Director of Training and Qualifications at Battelle in 2010.

A devoted Catholic, faithful servant, and dedicated Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus at St. Joseph Catholic Parish, Lowell found great joy in life's simple pleasures—especially bowling. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his love of music, and the steady, quiet devotion with which he cared for those he loved. Above all, Lowell cherished his wife and embraced the role of husband and father as the greatest purpose and privilege of his life.

He is survived by his beloved wife of more than 55 years, Kyung Sook "Sue" Howard (née Mathews) of Kennewick, Washington; and his children: Lowell "J.R." Howard and his wife, Kimberly (née Coulter), of Leavenworth, Kansas; Matthew Howard and his wife, Juliska (née Gerrits), of Simpsonville, South Carolina; Kelly Elliott (née Howard) of Kennewick, Washington; and Danielle Kleist (née Howard) and her husband, Christopher Kleist, of Richland, Washington.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Mel (28) and Cameron (20), children of Lowell "J.R." and Kimberly; Marjolein (18) and Annelise (15), children of Matthew and Juliska; Taylor (27) and Ryan (4), children of Kelly; and Emma (8) and James (4), children of Danielle and Christopher; his great-grandchildren, Jason (10) and Gabriel (8), children of Melissa; and his siblings, Janice Lucille Hubbs (née Howard), Margaret Sharon Embry (née Howard), Mary Carolyn Allgood (née Howard), Randall Wayne Howard, and James Marvin Howard.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Patricia Sue Weaver (née Howard) and Joyce Elaine Payne (née Howard); and his granddaughter, Melissa Karolyn Howard (at age 27).

A Catholic Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church (small chapel) in Kennewick, followed by a reception at Dillon Hall. A Celebration of Life will follow at 6:00 p.m. at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick. On Saturday, May 30, a Rosary will be held at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church (small chapel), followed by a military honors ceremony and interment at noon at Mueller's Desert Lawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations in Lowell's memory to Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) at bvl.org, an organization that reflects two of the things he deeply valued—his love of bowling and his military service.