Leo H. Howe

January 26, 1939 - January 6, 2020

Into the arms of the Lord Monday, Jan 6, 2020. Dear Husband of Mary Howe (Nee Elmendorf). Loving Father of Elizabeth (Larry) Gutzwiller, Laura (Kelly) Elbert, Matthew (Heather) Brinkmann; Dear grandfather of Emily, Daniel, Abigail, Drew, Lauren, and Joseph. Leo was preceded in death by his parents Leo and Hyacinth Howe; Dear Brother-in-law of James Elmendorf. Leo was the owner of Howe Associate, an aircraft accident investigation company and a graduate of St. Louis University. In lieu of flowers Donations may be made to B.J.C. Hospice or the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) or a charity of your choice. Life Story: I was an only child born January 26, 1939. I remember trips to the house in Farmington. There we fished, hiked and took vacations. Currently, I am 80 years old. My dad served in WWII and after he returned from the service, he started Drapery Service Company. My mother worked with my father. I worked with him less than a year after attending Beaumont High School and went back to school to pursue a degree in aeronautical engineering. Initially, I attended school in Miami, FL and then decided to finish at Saint Louis University (SLU). WORK My Uncle Gilbert took me on an airplane ride when I was 9 years old. He worked for TWA as a pilot and had also been a test pilot. He inspired me to want to work in the airline industry. My career began with St. Louis Flying Service. I maintained and flew aircraft as I was a pilot too. During that time, I taught at Parks Air College at SLU for a while where I met Wallace Maloney, a lawyer out of Chicago. I left the school and then taught briefly in Huntington Beach in southern California. There I did some work for Lloyds of London. I also did work for USAIG for eight years. They transferred me to the headquarters in W. Babylon, NY. Wally and I would get together on a case involving aircraft investigation after a crash. When we moved back to Chesterfield, I formed Howe Associates and conducted aircraft crash investigations for insurance companies for the rest of my life. Some of this work was dangerous and not fun! Later, we decided to move to Cherry Hills in Wildwood to downsize when I retired. One night I was called by the FBI because of a rumor that JFK was going to be assassinated. Later, it turned out to be true. It was fascinating work. I looked for certain signatures:  Crew error  Mechanical failure  The orange (often called black box) box  Follow-on investigations One of the cases that stood out for me was an aircraft accident in the Canary Islands because so many people died. I went diving on a wreck in the Allusion Islands and worked with the Secret Service although primarily my work was for insurance companies. I worked primarily for Lloyds of London and USAIG and any insurance company that insured aircraft. When I came upon a site of an accident, I had to calm people down. Injured children gave me a special problem. First, I spent time with the parents. I arrived an hour early so I had time with them before talking to the children. It was my job to determine what was truth from fiction. I enjoyed the mystery of the work and travelling all over the world. Over my lifetime, I noticed changes in airline travel. For instance, people stopped wearing suits and ties on the airplanes. It was a celebrity atmosphere in the beginning. Presently, it is very casual. The airplanes are now so technical and sophisticated.  Crew error  Mechanical failure  The orange (often called black box) box  Follow-on investigations One of the cases that stood out for me was an aircraft accident in the Canary Islands because so many people died. I went diving on a wreck in the Allusion Islands and worked with the Secret Service although primarily my work was for insurance companies. I worked primarily for Lloyds of London and USAIG and any insurance company that insured aircraft. When I came upon a site of an accident, I had to calm people down. Injured children gave me a special problem. First, I spent time with the parents. I arrived an hour early so I had time with them before talking to the children. It was my job to determine what was truth from fiction. I enjoyed the mystery of the work and travelling all over the world. Over my lifetime, I noticed changes in airline travel. For instance, people stopped wearing suits and ties on the airplanes. It was a celebrity atmosphere in the beginning. Presently, it is very casual. The airplanes are now so technical and sophisticated. FAMILY Mary and I met through friends at Steinberg Ice Skating Rink in 1962. She was 20 years old at the time. I was 5 years older than her. We got married in California on August 4, 1973 in Huntington Beach. We have 2 girls and a son. Each of my children had a girl and then a boy so I have 6 grandchildren. Two of my children live in St. Louis and the other lives in Batesville, Indiana. My children gave me great pride. They have been successful in their own lives. Beth is a CPA and she graduated from Butler University. Laura is a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist). She graduated from Washington University at SIUE. Matthew was interested in aviation. First, he worked for Anheiser Busch Company. Although he started at Meramec Junior College, he graduated from Maryville University. Initially, Matthew worked for Boeing but has recently changed jobs. MY PERSONAL INFORMATION I make friends easily and am adventurous and inquisitive. Mary says I love to talk and am always ready for visitors. She also indicated that I was a good provider. We took wonderful vacations as a family to Europe. Paris and Italy were my favorites. Once I retired, I discovered that I loved to cook. There was never a French dish I did not like and Julia Childs’ cookbooks became very familiar to me. Here are some miscellaneous facts about me. My best friend was Larry Galizi. We worked together…Larry as an airplane insurance broker and I did the investigations. My hobbies revolved around model aircraft. The kids and I got together to fly them. I also enjoyed golf. In addition, music was always a passion of mine. I played the trumpet and clarinet. In high school, I had a band and we played at weddings and other venues. When I worked as a licensed airplane mechanic in Miami, Florida, I also formed a band which played many different venues. These were a group of musicians that were very interesting people and I enjoyed them very much. I liked all kinds of music but I especially enjoyed listening to country music. I was also in the Masons. I felt my life was about raising a family and uncovering mysteries in aviation. If I were to pass any information on my children, it would be to love what you do and do what you love. Have fun in work and life!