Howard Fuller Isham passed away in Champaign, Illinois on February 16, 2011 at 90 years old.  Born on June 8, 1920 in Pasadena, California, he showed a great interest in the sea, sailboats, and music.  He played violin and viola as a music major at Pomona College until World War II interrupted his senior year.  He joined the US Naval Reserve and afterward, he got an MA in musicology from Columbia University, an MFA in music history from Princeton University and a PhD in European History from Columbia University.

During his career, he worked at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Encyclopedia Americana, and Harper College.  He moved to the Bay Area and was Professor Emeritus at San Francisco State University in Humanities for 25 years.

He is survived by his wife Molly, her sons Ted and Jimmy; and his two sons, Mark and John from Patricia Isham.

San Francisco Chronicle, March 25, 2011