Mary Rowan Howard

Newport, - Mary Rowan Belknap Howard, 85, of 51 Second Street Newport, died Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at home following a hard fought battle with cancer. She was the wife of the late John Hamilton Howard, and the daughter of the late Rear Admiral Reginald Rowan Belknap and Julia Averill Prescott Belknap.Born in Newport, RI on September 27, 1917, Mrs. Howard lived in Newport until 1922. As a part of a Navy family, moving to California, Virginia and finally settling in New York City, following her father?s retirement from the Navy in 1930. Mrs. Howard was a 1939 graduate of Vassar College. Mrs Howard married John Howard in 1940 at the St. Paul?s Church in New York City. After WWII, the moved to Sea Cliff, NY, with a brief period in Newport, RI for two years beginning in 1951. Between 1953 and 1977 the Howards lived in Port Washington, NY, Winnetka, IL, Princeton, NJ, and Saddle River, NJ. While living in Princeton, Mrs. Howard was the president of the Women?s College Club of Princeton, NJ. In 1977 the Howards returned permanently to Newport, RI. From the beginning, Mrs. Howard was involved with numerous civic and historical organizations. She was the president of the Civic League of Newport Swinburne School; secretary and later treasurer of the Whitehall Committee of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; trustee of the Preservation Society of Newport County, and its Hunter House Committee; Member of the Naval War College Foundation; member of the Naval Order; former director of the Newport Historical Society; former director of the Brick Market Foundation; Board member of the Point Association of Newport; member of the Rose Island Lighthouse foundation; former volunteer of the Newport Art Museum; and a member of the Newport Garden Club.She was also a member of the Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club, and the America?s Cup Challenge Race Committee in 1983. Her hobbies include golf, sailing, gardening, and tennis. She was an accomplished crossword puzzler, especially the NY Times and was a competive card player. She is survived by her son John H. Howard Jr. of Port Orchard, WA, her daughter Rowan H. Morse of Falmouth, ME, five grandchildren and one great granddaughter.She was the mother of the late J. Scott Howard who died in 1998. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 11:00am, in St. John The Evangelist Church, 61 Poplar Street at Washington Street, Newport, RI. Donations may be made in her memory to the St. John the Evangelist Church 61 Poplar Street, Newport, RI 02840 or to the Visiting Nurse Service of Newport and Bristol Counties, Hospice, 21 Chapel Street, Newport, RI 02840.