Tom Howald, cherished father, devoted husband, and beloved member of the Asheville medical community for 45 years, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 28, 2017. Affectionately known as “Doc” or by his nickname “Howard,” he was a practicing physician in the emergency rooms of both Mission Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as a partner in the medical practice that pioneered walk-in clinics in the Western North Carolina area. He was also actively involved with the volunteer fire and rescue squad throughout his lifetime. Tom Howald became a doctor not because he loved medicine, but because he loved people. Nothing brought him greater joy than caring for others in their time of need. His patients were not code numbers or diagnoses, they were all–regardless of their income, race, gender, religion or sexual orientation—unique and divine human beings worthy of the very best care he could give. Whether caring for the baby who threw up in the pocket of his lab coat or the victims of sudden and violent crimes like gunshots or knife wounds, he served the community with great joy and was the definition of grace under pressure in the emergency room. Originally, he intended to be a Catholic priest. But during his time spent working at the Frontier Nursing Service in the heart of coal-mining country in Appalachia, he met and married his wife of 47 years, Dorothy. Together, they reared their three children on a farm in Weaverville. Their daughter Laura Jane Howald is a widely recognized leader in the field of special ed and early childhood intervention. She and her husband Robert Hylton continue to live in the Asheville area. Their daughter Rachel Howald works in advertising, having recently left her position as a Chief Creative Officer for WPP in New York to start her own agency. She and her wife Jennifer live in the New York City area with their two sons, Callum and William. Their son Charles “Chuck” Howald is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. He and his wife Angela started their own company Acqcentric specializing in (TECHNICALLY WHAT DO YOU DO, ANG? ?). They reside in Huntsville, Alabama with their three sons, Thomas, Vincent, and Charlie. Tom was passionately interested in history and loved not only reading a good story but telling one. He was a human treasure trove of trivia and tall tales and he loved nothing more than sitting around a table talking with the people he loved. He enjoyed music of all kinds and was an accomplished saxophone player as well as pump organ enthusiast. Born and raised in Cleveland, he was a graduate of John Carroll University and The University of Cincinnati School Of Medicine. He was fond of reminding his children that nobody knew what place you graduated in your class—first or last—they only knew if you did. He enjoyed sneaking bowls of cereal with heavy cream late at night and never met a Hydrox cookie he didn’t like. He was patient and tolerant of everyone and everything, except the Miss America Pageant, during which he would quietly retreat into his study at home while the television blared in the distance. He was a trusted and beloved neighbor and believed in taking care of the people that surround you. Many a night, he could be found at his kitchen table treating the sick child of a neighbor, and on more than one occasion, he’d just happen to drop by to check on a patient to see how they were doing. He was keenly aware of his ancestry and was equally proud of his Irish citizenship and his German heritage, gleefully traveling to the tiny villages in both Ireland and Germany from whence his ancestors came. His laugh was infectious and his love of life was palpable. An unassuming man, his presence was quiet but unmistakable. He began and ended each day looking at a quote that best summed up his personal credo: “Compassion is the chief and perhaps only law of all human existence.” He was preceded in death by his wife this past December. He is survived and lovingly remembered by his brothers, Tim and Terry and their families, as well as his children and his five grandsons. He will be sorely missed. The family is planning a celebration of his life in Asheville later in the summer. Condolences and contact information for that celebration can be sent to thehowaldfamily@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please regularly contact your elected representatives and continue to speak up for the voiceless and the marginalized on his behalf or consider a donation to the pro-healthcare candidate of your choice.
