Rowena Howe passed away peacefully on February 25, 2015 surrounded by her loving family.
She was born December 21, 1922, in Montrose, Colorado, to Lavone S. and James R. Alexander. They moved to Salt Lake City in 1933 where Rowena graduated from the University of Utah in 1943 with a B.A. degree in Home Economics. She was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Delta Eta chapter, serving as its president in 1942-43.
In July, 1943, Rowena demonstrated her adventurous spirit by joining the WAVES. She served her country in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Georgia, and North Dakota as a Disbursing Officer, Lt. (j.g.), until April of 1946.
On May 14 of that year she married William C. (Bill) Howe in Salt Lake City, and moved with him to the San Francisco Bay area, where their first two children were born. They returned to Salt Lake in 1956 and a third child completed their family. Rowena and Bill were happily married for 66 years. They lived in the house they built for their family in Salt Lake for 55 of those years.
While Rowena was a skilled and devoted homemaker, she never lost her taste for adventure. She and Bill traveled the US and the world together and she took memorable trips with other friends as well. She stayed in a grass hut in Bali, rode elephants and camels in India and Egypt, and photographed tribesmen in Papua, New Guinea. She was one of the early American tourists in China, visiting in 1982.
Rowena's love of travel was matched only by her passion for photography. She took ‚ and meticulously catalogued ‚ thousands of photographs of everything from exotic places to family dinners, close-ups of flowers and icicles to long shots of mountains and sunsets. She loved to play tennis and bridge, was an avid reader and a great cook, and because she knew how to be a good friend, she had many of them.
Rowena was a charter member of Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church, where she served as a deacon and an elder; later she became a member of Wasatch Presbyterian Church. She was a 20-year member of Town Club.
She is survived by her daughter, Denise Wood and son Douglas Howe (Charlotte), and three grandchildren ‚ Sara Wood, Peter Howe (Carrie Durward) and Zoe Gray. Her beloved husband Bill and son David preceded her in death.
Her family appreciates the support and comfort provided by Dr. Beth Hanlon, Dr. David Howe and the staff at Sunrise Senior Living and Summit Hospice.
A memorial service will be held at Wasatch Presbyterian Church, 1626 South 1700 East, on Saturday, March 7 at noon, followed by light lunch. Those wishing to make a charitable contribution in her name might consider the Salvation Army or Heifer International. Online condolences: www.larkincares.com
