Eugene "Gene" Howard 's Obituary
Howard, Eugene
The world and our family lost a great and good man, when Gene Howard passed away on May 31st He leaves a giant hole in many lives. There was no one who loved people as much as Gene did, no one who had a better sense of humor, of diligence and of loyalty or who was ever more generous and gracious with time, money, patience and love. There was no one who loved Gene as much as his wife of 50 years, Elsie. No one more loved racquetball, golf, baseball, both to play and to watch, and playing poker. Gene also loved his phone. Gene had even gotten hole in one at golf. At 50, Gene was a state racquetball champion and played competitively until he became ill. His spirit of playfulness and camaraderie was the stuff of legends. He adored and admired his children Heidi & Aaron Tandy and Liz & Murray Brown. His grandchildren, Harrison, Jonathon & Catharine Tandy and Sydney & Murray Brown were his heart, for whom he was determined to leave a legacy of love, persistence, productivity and kindness. He leaves behind his extraordinary mother and bookkeeper, Claire Howard and his sisters, Pattie Freistat, her partner Phil Rosen, and his sister Roberta, his brother-in-law, Ralph Sterling. Gene practiced Real Estate Law for over fifty years in Miami and Miami Beach. Gene was a very proud Gator, as graduate of the University of Florida and its Law School. Nautilus and Beach High were central to his education. He loved his profession. Gene enthusiastically supported his community as a former chairman of the Miami Beach Golf Program and founder of the Billy Shockett Golf Tournament. He was a longtime member of Temple Beth Sholom, and, with Elsie, he was a Founder of Sylvester Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center, an active supporter of Mogen David Adom, FIDF, Chapman Partnership for Homeless, Women of Tomorrow, and the University of Pennsylvania. Gene was a leader, a listener, a generous and loyal friend, a mentor to many, a brilliant negotiator and worked until last week completing transactions. To know Poppa Geno was to love him. He will be missed every day and forever. Funeral services will be at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, June 4, followed by internment at Beth David-Levitt Weinstein Memorial Gardens in Hollywood. Donations in Gene’s memory can be made to the University of Florida Levin College of Law or the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center.
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