Mary Howard was born April 18, 1933 in Grand Rapids, Mich. She became the 219th resident of Reston in 1965, living here until her death on Feb. 26, 2015.
Mary is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Bob Howard, son Mark and daughter-in-law Lisa Lim, a daughter, stepson Jerry Howard, brother Bruce Boss, sister Pam Hietanen, and stepbrothers Paul and Dale Hietanen.
Mary served with the Department of State in Seoul, South Korea, for five years, followed by five years in Asunción, Paraguay. During these years she traveled widely, to Japan, Hong Kong, and Europe.
She returned to the US in 1965 and moved to Reston, became a real estate broker in 1970 and President of Wellborn Real Estate, co-owned with husband Bob, at the time one of the few women to head a real estate brokerage. She received numerous professional designations and awards, and in 1982 was named President of the 15,000-member Northern Virginia Board (later Association) of Realtors, then the fourth woman to hold this position.
After retirement, Mary pursued her lifelong interest in art and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Corcoran College of Art in 1996. She was selected to exhibit her sculpture at the Corcoran in the 1997 Alumni Show and at the Grounds for Sculpture, and also had solo shows at the Arlington Arts Center and the Greater Reston Arts Center. She was a founding member of the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), where she headed various committees and was a long-time Board member.
A founding member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston, Mary chaired several committees and served on the Board, including a term as vice president.
After raising their blended family, Mary and Bob became avid bikers, logging 2000 miles in many years. They took many bike trips in the US as well as bike and barge excursions in Holland, France, and Belgium. They also traveled to China, India, and Russia. In May 2014 they took one last trip to the Badlands, Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, all new to Mary.
In mid-2013 Mary contracted an auto-immune disease, Wegener’s, resulting in kidney failure. Refusing to be defined by this, she dialyzed at home every night and led a reasonably normal life until late 2014.
There will be a celebration of Mary’s life March 28 at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston. Memorial gifts may be made to the church or the Greater Reston Arts Center.