From the USNA "Class of 1940"
Jack was born in Beijing, China, and was appointed to the Naval Academy from the Fleet. At graduation, his first duty assignment was to USS ARIZONA as Radio Officer. Surviving the attack of 7 December, 1941, he served as Executive and Salvage Officer of the USS ARIZONA Unit until reassigned to USS CALIFORNIA as Communications Officer. Other duties included tours in destroyers USS THOMPSON, as Executive Officer, spearheading the Normandy invasion, operating in North Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys and taking part in the southern France invasion; USS WINSLOW; USS JEFFERS; USS DASHIELL, as Commanding Officer, in 1956. From 1950 to 1953, he was Executive Officer, MAAG, Rome, Italy. For his performance of duty at the Normandy landings on 6 June, 1944, Jack received a letter of commendation.

An interesting hobby, or avocation, of Jack's, at sea or ashore, was archery. While on recruiting duty in Salt Lake City, Jack put his skills to a challenging test, hunting cougars with a bow and arrow in the mountainous terrain nearby.

After retirement from the Navy in 1958, he received an MA in mathematics and physics from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and introduced modern math to the Ithaca School System. From 1963 to 1965, he was Head, Mathematics Department, Manlius Military Academy, Manlius, NY.

In 1968, he entered the data processing field in St. Petersburg and retired as a consultant in data processing, specializing in hospital systems.

Jack died of lung cancer on II January, 1987, at his home in St. Petersburg, Florida. His ashes were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Alix Brunet, of 2527 70th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33712; son, John Robblee Howatt of Bedford, Massachusetts; daughter, Noela Alix Howatt of Buffalo, New York; and sister, Betteanne Howatt of Washington, D.C.

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