Barbara Reese Howard ’53

Barbara Reese Howard ’53, of Warren, N.J.; Dec. 30. She taught preschool at Plainfield’s YWCA and joined Head Start’s early education program. She became an advocate for inclusive special education and earned her master’s in special education from Rutgers University. Her passion for teaching was extended through tutoring. She was a member of the International Reading Association and Literacy Volunteers of America. After retirement, she established a library at a women’s shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. Seeing the need for Jewish education and social connections, she and her husband helped found the Mountain Jewish Community Center, which became Temple Har Shalom. She was an active member of the League of Women Voters and the National Organization for Women (NOW). She was one of “The Smart Chix,” a special friends community of retired Warren educators. She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling, attending events at Temple Har Shalom, exercising at Healthy Bones, attending yoga classes, and hosting women at Rosh Chodesh gatherings. She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, two sons, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, a niece, and nephews.