William Kenneth Howlett

William Kenneth Howlett was born March 23, 1937, to RA Howlett and Margaret Beach (Howlett) in Pittsburgh, PA, the second of five children. Much of his childhood was spent in Michigan and western PA where he and his brother Bud got up to a variety of shenanigans and worked in odd jobs including a stint with an egg farmer. Eventually he wised up and went to college at Penn State where he majored in chemistry with a minor in pranking frat boys in the fraternity where he worked (but was not a member). After graduating, Bill joined the Army for his required service. While his propensity for smartass behavior meant he saw little promotion, he did get stationed in Massachusetts with a military research unit, and was able to put his chemistry degree to good use contributing to research on the potential for carbon uptake in off-planet environments and maybe the nature of cockroach pheromones (per family lore). However, the highlight of his military career came in the summer of 1961 when he was set up on a blind date with Ms. Barbara Hayes who was a civilian administrator with the Army. Being a smart man, he beguiled her into marrying him on December 30, 1961, and made it his life’s work to take care of her.

After his discharge, he landed positions in various industrial chemical companies, moving from Massachusetts to Delaware to Connecticut. He also, with the continued good graces of Barbara, became a father to Cynthia in 1962, Geoffrey in 1964, and Katherine in 1970 (surprise!) Being a father was something he enjoyed immensely and worked hard at with mostly good results. In the spirit of the Civil Rights era, he also engaged in social actions advocating for equal rights, believing that everyone deserves a hand and that sharing a meal was the best way to build relations and communities and was thus a good role model for his children.

Being a handy person who believed in the value of a comfortable home, Bill later followed his heart and talents into the home-building industry, contracting to build custom-designed homes after building a post-and-beam of his own (with the support of his family who learned to use power tools whether they wanted to or not). With their children grown and somewhat mature, Bill and Barbara moved to Maine in 1989 to be closer to her parents and to start a new adventure. This time, Bill utilized his culinary talents, cooking at several local restaurants and opening his own place, Bill’s Café and Bookstore (the latter managed by Barbara, a voracious reader). During this time, he reprised his home-building skills working on a number of local Habitat for Humanity and CHIP projects, as well as serving on the board of directors. 

Eventually he “retired” after building one last home designed by Barbara in Bristol, Maine for themselves, and with Barbara co-founded a non-profit organization, Stepping Stone Housing. They began with one property and multiple tiny houses open to individuals and families earning less than a living wage in Lincoln County who struggled with being unhoused, and laid the groundwork to expand, providing transitional housing for people in need and redistributing basic furniture and household goods for those starting their journey. The organization carries on the mission through the generosity of volunteers and donors. 

In 2021, having endured a series of health setbacks, Bill lost Barbara after 59 years of marriage. He moved to a caring facility in Whitefield, New Hampshire in 2023 to be closer to his daughter Cynthia. After charming the staff and welcoming visits from his children and grandchildren for nearly two years, Bill decided they were okay on their own and he passed on February 11th, 2025, in time for a Valentine’s Day date with Barbara at the best restaurant in heaven.

Bill loved music and was a talented vocal performer. A member of various churches during his adult life, Bill believed that he showed his faith through his works, serving on various boards and committees and singing joyfully with the choirs. He ran multiple marathons with impressive speed; he loved dogs, especially his beloved stinky basset hounds, and eventually came to accept cats along with the bunnies and chickens foisted on him by his children. He was a loving, emotional, caring human being who would quite literally give the shirt off his back or drop whatever he was doing to help build or fix what was needed, and his surviving family does their level best to continue his efforts. 

He is survived by his brother, Bud (Romaine A. Howlett III), his children, Cynthia Howlett-Willis (John Willis), Geoffrey Howlett (Kathleen Howlett), and Katherine Hayes (John Matsunaga), and grandchildren, Hap Willis, Acadia Willis-Dwinell, Nathaniel Howlett, Alex Howlett, and Parker Howlett.

Bill’s family plans to have a memorial celebration of his life in the spring. The family asks for any memorial donations to be made to Stepping Stone Housing: (https://www.steppingstonehousing.org/).