by Dr. Dennis Augustine
Howard or Howie, as he was known to his friends, was Cecile’s and my next door neighbor. He died peacefully in his sleep, with his beloved golden lab, Cassie by his side on Friday, October 18, at the age of 70.
This was one of the most heartwarming "Celebration of Life" ceremonies Cecile and I have ever attended. Howie loved to cheer on the Yankees as a kid growing up in the Bronx, NY, and rooting for the SF Giants with his son Michael when he moved to California. It was also said, that "music filled Howie’s heart, books sustained his brain, and great wine soothed his soul." And boy did he have a collection of them all. In line with the generosity Howie showed in life, we were encouraged to consider helping ourselves with any of the books, record albums, and wine displayed in the room as a memento. Howie would be so happy to know we enjoyed it.
It’s often been said that in our day-to-day interactions, we see only parts of someone's life, the roles they play with us directly, like being a friend, neighbor, mentor, or colleague. We rarely have a full picture of their entire journey, accomplishments, and the depth of their relationships with others. These gatherings often reveal layers of their personality, the scope of their kindness, and the impact they had on the world that we might not have witnessed directly.
Born on March 28, 1954, in the Bronx, NY, Howard came from humble beginnings. His parents, Adele and Bernie Green, were Holocaust survivors who immigrated from Poland. They instilled in him a strong appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities America had to offer. His brush with death as a young adult encouraged him to live each day like it was his last. He was a proud graduate of Cornel University where he would forge friendships that would last a lifetime.
After graduating from Cornell in 1975, Howard attended the UCLA Anderson School of Management where he got his MBA in Marketing and Budget. In the early 1980s, Howard moved to Silicon Valley at the start of the high tech wave. He spent 10 of his 40-year career at Apple where he spearheaded initiatives that led to explosive growth in accounting software, videoconferencing, and speech recognition. Notably, he helped lead the launch of Apple’s FaceTime, as well as Apple Speech.
Howard is survived by his wonderful son, Michael, whom he adored, and daughter-in-law Jules, his beloved granddaughter Ayla, and his dog Cassie. May he RIP! He will be missed.
