Donald Howell

August 27, 1931 - September 12, 2021

Donald W Howell, 90 years of age, passed peacefully and surrounded by loved ones. Don remained witty to the end, cracking jokes and spreading smiles.

Don was born and raised in South Pasadena during the Great Depression. He lived with his mother, father, and four siblings in a two bedroom house built by his father and grandfather. After serving the US Navy in the Korean War, Don married his sweetheart, Velma Jean Scott (SPHS '52) in 1953, and they remained married for 58 years until her passing in 2012. During his career, he was successful both in senior management in the aerospace industry and as an entrepreneur. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's engineering program, he was recruited to join General Electric's management trainee program. To get back to family and friends in Southern California, Don moved to Aerojet Electrosystems where he stayed for more than 30 years until his retirement in 1996. Don managed the design and production of advanced satellite technologies used for weather monitoring. Don was tight-lipped about what he did with his high-level security clearance, but the technology was rumored in the media to be used as part of our country's strategic defense early-warning system, monitoring for missile launches by the opposition during the Cold War. On the entrepreneurial front, during this same period he established an engineering company, CEDAD, and with his two co-founders, invented dozens of products, secured multiple patents, and achieved long-term sales success of a specialized pneumatic valve for the transportation industry.

Don's most important legacy was the lasting well-being he instilled in those with whom he came in contact. He was a loving husband to Jean, a faithful ally to his friends and colleagues, and a remarkable role model to a brother-in-law, five children, eleven grandkids, and five great- grandkids. His extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, and others often referred to him as a second dad, and 'Holidays at the Howells' created a plethora of lasting memories, many of which were captured by Don's cutting-edge Super 8 camera. 

Pasadena Star-News, September 22, 2021