Edward George Howard, Jr., of Hockessin, DE, passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Ed would have been 105 in February. He was active up until the very end, reading Frankenstein to keep up with his daughter’s book group, preparing dinners for another daughter and her family, and hosting his entire family in his Delaware home over the Christmas holidays. In 2024, he traveled to Albuquerque to visit his grandson Alex and his partner Kelsey. He was a kind and generous person.Ed was born in the pine barrens of New Jersey. His family was poor and had a hard time surviving during the Great Depression. At 18, he got a job at Campbell’s Soup Company. It paid for his way through Temple University. He told many tales of tomato soup production, often going into minute details about their process. He remained dedicated to their products throughout his life.
After Temple, Ed studied at Indiana University, where he earned a PhD. He was the first person in his family to graduate from high school, let alone earn a doctorate. Having graduated from IU, Ed and a friend drove across the country in a Crosby truck, which had a top speed of 35mph. That seven-week trip exploring the west was one of his fondest memories. They were on a strict budget and slept in the back of the Crosby. Later in life he wrote his autobiography. It included stories of this first expedition.
After the road trip, Ed settled down. He married Elizabeth, and they built a home in Hockessin where they raised three daughters. He was hired by the DuPont Company in Wilmington, where he worked for 50 years, registering many patents.
Ed had many passions. He loved experimenting in science but also loved gardening, poetry, reading and cooking. Most of all though, he was devoted to his family. One of his favorite memories, inspired by the Crosby automobile road adventure, was driving his family around the country with a pop-up camper hitched to the back. He enjoyed a visit last summer from his grandson Rory and wife Kate along with their two sons. When in Colorado, he explored museums and dinosaur bones with two granddaughters. Grandson Ryan lives close by and was a regular visitor.
Ed lived and died in the house he and Liz built in Hockessin over 70 years ago. He is survived by a sister, Dorothy Sylvestre. He will be greatly missed but will remain forever in the hearts of his daughters Patricia Howard (Ted Krichels), Anne Cleary (Stephen), and Joan Howard Jones (Doug), grandchildren Alex and Hayley Krichels; Ryan Cleary, Rory Jones (Kate), Melissa Jones, and great-grandchildren Matthew and Scott — and all those fortunate enough to have known him.
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