Paul Howarth

Paul E. Howarth, 79, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2018. Paul will be cremated according to his wishes. A Celebration of Life will be held from 6-8 PM, with Military Honors at 7:45 PM, on Monday, May 14, at Johnson County Funeral Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS.

Paul was born in 1939 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to William Edward and Doris (Benac) Howarth. He graduated from Boston University before joining the U.S. Navy, where he was an officer from 1962 to 1972. He served during the Vietnam War as a navigator on the minesweeper U.S.S. Peregrine and the destroyer U.S.S. Goldsborough, stationed in Hawaii and Thailand. He had two children, Heather and Paul Jr., with his first wife, Kathie Milano.

Upon his return to civilian life, Paul pursued a career in the insurance industry. Later he became an executive director in healthcare at the encouragement of his second wife, Linda Hollister, a nurse with saintly patience, with whom he enjoyed a long and happy marriage of 31 years and a shared nightly glass of champagne in the gazebo.

A social person, Paul will be remembered fondly for a rich personality defined by a warm, effusive charm and an unending sense of humor. He enjoyed good conversation and lively debate. He had a beautiful baritone singing voice and played the drums with zest, as well as the tenor sax. He loved to drive fast in his 1998 BMW and kept an immaculate lawn and garden. An avid watcher of the TV show Jeopardy, he often beat the contestants with his broad knowledge of esoteric facts. He was a brilliant storyteller who frequently regaled his friends and family with captivating anecdotes from his younger years and his time in the Navy. Above all, he was a loving husband, father, and friend. He will be deeply missed.

He is preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Eileen. He is survived by his wife, Linda; his two children, Heather and Paul Jr.; and his three grandchildren, Zane, Molly, and Hazel.