Howard Schonberger passed on Oct. 23. He was incredibly active in the community and was the heart and soul of the Journal.

The Journal asked you to share stories about Howard. Here are some memories.

Faithful readers

Here is my most favorite photo (shown above) of Howard and his wife Helen, aboard a Washington State Ferry (Go with the Flow), reading their favorite newspaper.

– Kathy Chadwick

Carpe Diem

Howard lived life to the fullest and up to the end itself. We saw him and Helen about two weeks ago at the theatre and he still had that twinkle in his eye. What a unique and admirable individual! Howard was intelligent, thoughtful, hard working, soft spoken and a wonderful role model for children and adults. The way he shared his memories of life experiences and adventures truly brought American history to life for all of us.

– Karen and David Kratter

Remembering Howard

For the past 25 years I had the opportunity to spend a little time with Howard on almost every Friday evening. He was certainly an inspiration on how to age but never grow old. I think part of his secret was to stay involved and maintain a purpose. Howard never quit. He was always active in Lions Club, he was the first male member of the local Soroptimist chapter, and was a volunteer firefighter until they retired him at 75. He was a board member for the local United Way, an elder at the Presbyterian Church, as well as a journalist and the go–to–guy for advertising at the Journal. I’m sure there are many other groups that benefited from his allegiance. Another trait that kept him going was keeping his mind alive. He was a tenacious Scrabble player; a take–no–prisoners type of opponent. Howard was a member of the Lion’s Knowledge Bowl team and a regular at Trivia Night at the Rumor Mill. He also was an accomplished artist and active in the Artist’s Guild.

He always maintained a positive attitude that exuded true happiness. I never saw Howard without a genuine smile on his face. Even with all the medical issues he was facing, he approached the world with glee. His sense of humor and quick wit never waned. The articles he wrote for the Journal always reflected how good things can be. Howard also knew that love in his life was so important. I remember several years ago when I first met his son, Howard Jr., his exuberance and pride in the introduction brought such a smile to my face. After he married Helen, I watched him embrace her family completely.

I truly am honored to have known him and to see how important all of these traits are in maintaining a happy and healthy life.

–Gayle Rollins

Manager of The San Juan Island Yacht Club