Rev. Richard “Rick” Eric Howard, 67, of Morgantown, passed away peacefully at Harmony Assisted Living on Sept. 16, 2020, surrounded by his family. Rick was born Feb. 25, 1953 in Cumberland, Md., a son of the late Arthur Cecil Howard and Doris Jean (Eirich) Howard.
Rick attended Fort Hill High School in Cumberland Md. He received his undergraduate education from Bethany College in Bethany (Brooke County) and his Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School. He worked as a career counselor counseling government sector students while working on his master’s. He was a co-author of “The Harvard Guide to Careers in Government & the Public Sector.”
Rick was assistant paster of Cliftondale United Methodist Church in Saugus, Mass. He served on the Southern New England Conference Council on Finance and Administration as an officer. He then served as pastor of the Chestnut Street United Methodist Church in Gardner, Mass. and pastor of the Wakefield-Lynnfield UMC in Wakefield, Mass. Rick served as the senior pastor at the Protestant Community Church in Medford Lakes, N.J. He last served as the pastor of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Morgantown.
Rick was an active community volunteer serving with Meals on Wheels and the Boy Scouts of America. He was interested in interfaith relations and participated in a Christian-Muslim interfaith trip to Turkey. He was an accomplished musician; he loved music, sang tenor in church choirs, and played the French horn and trumpet. Rick was an avid baseball fan and a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. He enjoyed watching the loons on the lake at the family camp in Maine. He collected model trains. Rick was a voracious reader of all subjects. He was committed to social justice issues and that came through in his sermons and how he treated people.
Rick is survived by his wife, Lorinda Smith Howard; one daughter, Sarah Woodford (Derek), of Morgantown; one son, Daniel Howard (Alex), of Fairmont; one sister, Cathy Moore (Dan), of Julian Pa.; and two brothers, Jon Howard (Melva), of LaVale Md. and Jeffrey Howard (Brenda), of Medford Lakes N.J.
A memorial service will be held at First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, 100 Cobun Ave. Morgantown, Saturday Nov. 7. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. with a service by pastor Bob Roberts at 11 a.m. Please wear masks and practice social distancing due to COVID-19.
