Richard (Dick) Staunton Howard, MD,
LA CROSSE – Richard (Dick) Staunton Howard, MD, beloved father and grandfather, passed away on September 28, 2021 at the age of 90. He was born September 7, 1931 to Bernard F. and Zelma (Hetrick) Howard in Kittanning, PA.
Growing up, he was exceedingly proud of his paper route and of becoming an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, CT. He met the love of his life, Nancy, while attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. They were married on December 23, 1955.
After his internship at Reading Hospital, Pennsylvania, he proudly served as an Air Force Captain as a flight surgeon stationed at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, in Colorado. He completed his residency in urology at the University of Virginia-Charlottesville, obtaining a master’s degree in surgery – urology. His thesis was on experimental bacteriuria, looking at the relationship between immunization, chronic bladder neck obstruction and experimental E. coli pyelonephritis.
In 1966 he, Nancy and their three children moved to La Crosse where he became the newest member of the urology department at Gundersen Clinic-Lutheran Hospital (now Gundersen Health Systems). He practiced there as a urological surgeon until his retirement in 1996.
Throughout his life, he instilled in his children a love of travel and sports, especially skiing, swimming and tennis, and the value of education and hard work as a path to success. Dick has taken advantage of several trips to Europe over the years and has had a blast with his golfing friends trying out the various courses across Europe. A particular favorite was St. Andrews, Scotland. He often mentioned how much he loved Vienna, Austria, especially during the winter market season and considered it to be his favorite city. Dick also loved to go to Colorado to ski and to the family summer home on Lake Champlain in Vermont.
He was predeceased by his beloved 45-year-old wife Nancy and his parents. He is survived by his children and their spouses: Kimberly (Donald) Schiller, Richard Jr. (Beth) and Claire (Kevin) Low; his grandsons: Andrew (Kaetlynn) and Matthew Low and Stuart Howard; as well as his sister and brother-in-law Susan and Van Campbell. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Richard S. Howard, MD Fund for Advanced Urological Studies – a fund within the Gundersen Medical Foundation to support advanced urological education and training.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m. at the Dickinson Family Funeral Home, 1425 Jackson Street. A private family funeral will be held at Oak Grove Cemetery. Friends can visit family on Saturdays at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until service time. A celebration of life will also be held on Sunday at La Crosse Country Club from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A full obituary will be provided.
Online condolences can be shared at www.dickinsonfuneralhomes.com
Posted by La Crosse Tribune on October 3, 2021.
