Howard was born to a large family on a small southern Illinois farm. The community was settled in the 1850s by German immigrants who were known for their hard work, common sense and ingenuity. Howard’s parents lived through the Great Depression and learned to make do by growing and preserving their own food, chopping wood for heat and practicing thrift.
Howard with two of his sisters.
In the 1960s, when Howard was a boy, his father George continued to farm. Any downtime caused by equipment failure could mean a failure to produce an income. Working alongside his father and uncles, Howard learned to fix, invent or improvise. Whether it was the 20-year-old tractors, the cistern well, or the various outbuildings for animals and grain storage, the family worked together to solve problems.
Late 1940’s farm tractor that Howard helped maintain.
Fast forward to 1967 and Howard, fresh out of serving in the US Army, looked for a more promising way of life. He moved to La Grange, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. After a short time working at Automatic Electric, he began his career in public works for what was then the small village of Burr Ridge. As Burr Ridge grew, so did his responsibilities, achievements and rewards, and his active involvement in the community.
Howard on a visit to the family farm.
In 2003, Howard retired as Superintendent of Public Works for Burr Ridge, allowing him to spend time promoting his discovery and educating water industry professionals about the advantages of surge suppression. He maintains a water operators’ license, retains an American Water Works Association (AWWA) membership and remains active in the local water works field.
Howard spent many years providing hayrides for the community.
Howard is an active member of the Kiwanis Club and the American Legion. He and his wife Nancy enjoy travel, sports cars and live music. Their son Phillip has a PhD in mechanical engineering and lives in Seattle, Washington. Their daughter Amy, a former sixth-grade math teacher, recently blessed them with their first grandchild Matthias.
Today Howard still enjoys visiting his family at the farm.
Howard is promoting the new version of air containment unit. Observing client success with it.
