July 15, 2008
Dear Carolyn,
I want to express my deepest sympathy to you and your family as Jack has passed on and entered into the eternal presence of our Lord. Since we learned of Jack’s cancer diagnosis, our hearts have been heavy and we have prayed for peace and comfort for Jack, you and your family.
I am grateful to you for establishing the Howard Family Blog. Through the blog, you have shared with us Jack’s and your family’s journey during his illness - the joys and the sorrows - and the beautiful testimony to his life found in the letters sent by family, friends, colleagues, and former students. I faithfully followed it throughout these months. I’d often read the blog just before retiring for the night, but then I couldn’t go to sleep because I was either sad thinking about your suffering or overwhelmed at how God used Jack in so many people’s lives.
Jack lived a blessed life and his life was a blessing to all who knew him. Jack was indeed a very special man. Each time I was with him, I was touched by his gentle, warm smile and manner. Throughout the years, Bill spoke of Jack with love; grateful for the lessons Jack taught him and the kindness Jack showed him. The message that keeps coming through in the letters to Jack and your family is the positive impact that he had on people’s lives. Jack touched people from every decade of his life!
Carolyn, years ago you told me that you’d get sermon tapes from a former pastor and you loved listening to them because he always pointed to Christ. Throughout his life, Jack pointed to Christ, not just by word but by deed - by the way he lived and worked and treated others. Jack faithfully used the intellectual gifts that God gave him to bring glory to God. Through his hard work, he made many contributions that benefited others and this pleased the Lord. Jack had the gift of encouragement and throughout his life he chose to encourage others and hence honored God. Even during the final months on this earth, Jack shared his love for Christ and the hope he had in Him.
Jack “spoke” of his love for the Lord by who he was and how he lived. This love didn’t just “leak out somewhere” as your dear pastor said. Anyone who reads the blog letters will see that Jack’s life overflowed with his love for Christ. He led a life of faith in God and obedience to His Word. I tell my children that if they obey the Lord – if they do what they know is right – then God is glorified, they will be blessed and they will be a blessing to others. Jack is the perfect example of this. The fruits he bore as a result of his obedience glorified the Lord and blessed others. Again, from the blog letters, you can see that throughout Jack’s entire life, he bore all of the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those fruits, given by the Spirit, were given not only for his benefit, but so that he could be a blessing to others. His family, friends, colleagues, and former students were the recipients of his love, his patience, his kindness, his goodness. Praise the Lord for His provision!
I have printed the contents of the blog. Bill and I have talked quite a bit about Jack this week. We want our children to read the blog, so that they can get a glimpse into the life of this wonderful, dear man. His character, his humility, his grace, his curiosity, his wisdom, his work ethic, his love for his family and the Lord beautifully appear in these pages. Jack was a gift to many! He lived a full, rich life, but to all who loved him, his life on earth ended too soon. Jonathan mentioned the number 7 on his July 7th blog. Bill reminded me that in scripture, the number 7 is used to show completeness. Because God’s will is perfect, Jack’s life on earth was complete on July 7, 2008. We don’t understand why God chose this moment for Jack to be with Him, but by faith we know that he is in the presence of our Lord.
Carolyn, again, I thank you for sharing these last months of Jack’s life with us. It was a beautiful testimony and God was glorified through it all. You and Jack were and always will be a great team. His legacy is a legacy of love. I’m quite sure that Jack “pressed” his goodness into his children. I encourage them to follow Jack’s example to seek to know, love, and obey the Lord Jesus. Their lives will be exciting and full of love, joy, peace, and blessings, and others will say, “he/she reminds me of Jack.”
My prayer for you and your children is from Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
I close with some scriptures that remind of Jack. I hope they will be an encouragement to you. What a blessing he was to all of us!
Sincerely,
Rosie
______________________________________________________________________
“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” John 14:23
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:1 – 7
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3: 12 - 17
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Condolence from Murray Height former PhD student
Dear Carolyn,
I wanted to send you a note to let you know how sad I am to hear about Jack passing away. I was hoping to be able to come to Boston for the memorial yesterday but was unfortunately unable to make it over in time from Switzerland. In any event, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.
I have spent much time over the last week thinking about Jack and reflecting on memories of working with Jack at MIT. When I came to the US from Australia in 1999 I knew I wanted to work with Jack, and a big part of that was the friendly and straightforward manner in which he worked with people. I loved working towards my PhD and Jack had a way of challenging, supporting and nurturing that had a profoundly positive impact on the way that I think and look at the world. I appreciate every moment of my time at MIT and know that Jack was a big reason for that. I feel very fortunate to have known him and to be counted as a student of such an intelligent, gentle and wonderful man.
With love and deepest sympathy,
Murray
Murray HeightPhD. MIT Chief Technology Officer HeiQ Materials AGOffice
+41 (0)56 250 68 50Fax +41 (0)56 250 68 51Mob +41 (0)76 565 76 76 Email height@heiq.comWeb WWW.HEIQ.COMZürcherstrasse 425330
Bad ZurzachSwitzerlandHeiQ Materials AG is a Swiss Manufacturing Company of High-performance additives, Coatings and masterbatches for the Textile and Medical device industry.
I wanted to send you a note to let you know how sad I am to hear about Jack passing away. I was hoping to be able to come to Boston for the memorial yesterday but was unfortunately unable to make it over in time from Switzerland. In any event, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.
I have spent much time over the last week thinking about Jack and reflecting on memories of working with Jack at MIT. When I came to the US from Australia in 1999 I knew I wanted to work with Jack, and a big part of that was the friendly and straightforward manner in which he worked with people. I loved working towards my PhD and Jack had a way of challenging, supporting and nurturing that had a profoundly positive impact on the way that I think and look at the world. I appreciate every moment of my time at MIT and know that Jack was a big reason for that. I feel very fortunate to have known him and to be counted as a student of such an intelligent, gentle and wonderful man.
With love and deepest sympathy,
Murray
Murray HeightPhD. MIT Chief Technology Officer HeiQ Materials AGOffice
+41 (0)56 250 68 50Fax +41 (0)56 250 68 51Mob +41 (0)76 565 76 76 Email height@heiq.comWeb WWW.HEIQ.COMZürcherstrasse 425330
Bad ZurzachSwitzerlandHeiQ Materials AG is a Swiss Manufacturing Company of High-performance additives, Coatings and masterbatches for the Textile and Medical device industry.
Condolence from Chris Pope, a friend and former PhD student
Dear Carolyn, Courtenay, Jonathan, and Megan,
I send my sympathy and condolences about your loss. I trust that the Prince of Peace will grant your hearts and spirits “the peace that passeth all understanding”. Allow yourselves to be human at this time; remember that His strength is perfected in weakness. The battle is over. We all know Jack is with the Lord now -- because God loved him so much that he got tired of having a long-distance relationship.
I gladly would have given anything to visit Jack at the end, and to attend the memorial service. My absence was solely due to lack of funds. Rest assured that I am there in spirit with you all. When I make it out there next, I will visit, if you wish.
I am embarrassed to say that Jack’s death caught me by surprise. After your blog entry on May 27th, when he was doing quite well, it seemed to me that Jack was one of those who had attained long-term recovery. My next news came from Phil’s letter last week about Jack’s passing into the higher realms. It was a tough reminder that nothing, nothing at all, can be taken for granted in this world, that the answer to the question "Isn't this the very moment when connection and caring would be most appropriate?" [Chellis Glendinning] is YES. “For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Jack Howard the professor delighted in gaining and sharing knowledge; now he not only has the joy of complete knowledge but also the knowledge of complete joy -- a knowledge for which we will have to wait a bit longer for until we reunite with him in the presence of the Lord.
“There was a message written in pencil on the tiles by the roller towel. This was it:WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?
Trout plundered his pockets for a pen or pencil. He had an answer to the question. But he had nothing to write with, not even a burnt match. So he left the question unanswered, but here is what he would have written, if he had found anything to write with: To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool.” [Kurt Vonnegut, “Breakfast of Champions”]
Nobody can ever call Jack Howard a fool. He allowed the Lord to work through him in ever so many ways. He also knew that his real treasures were in heaven; his heart was there with Christ. [Matthew 6:19-21] Whether or not Jack verbally expressed his faith was nowhere near as important as the example he gave of how to live guided by the Spirit.
It would have been nice for him as my supervisor for my graduate and post-doctoral work to have been around long enough to see me attain success professionally. Let me take that back. He will be able to see, but I won’t be able to see and hear his pleasure in it. In one other important way, I already have “made it”. When he signed my email “your friend, Jack”, I knew that he saw me as an equal. No paycheck can match that.
The doctoral thesis I wrote for Jack was dedicated “to the One who loved to play so much that He/She/It created a universe with 7 A[ngstrom] soccerballs in it.” {7 Angstroms is the diameter of the fullerene C60, roughly 30 billionths of an inch.] In days long passed, some considered how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Jack will no doubt let them know that the correct question is how many angels can play soccer there, and will help them arrive at the proper answer. As the chant goes: “May the long time Sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, guide your way home.” Jack is home now. It is our loss... and the world’s loss. But he lives on in our minds and hearts.
with my concern, sympathy, and love,
Chris
Christopher J. Pope
1550 Springtown Blvd. #17
E Livermore, CA 94551(925) 895-3424
I send my sympathy and condolences about your loss. I trust that the Prince of Peace will grant your hearts and spirits “the peace that passeth all understanding”. Allow yourselves to be human at this time; remember that His strength is perfected in weakness. The battle is over. We all know Jack is with the Lord now -- because God loved him so much that he got tired of having a long-distance relationship.
I gladly would have given anything to visit Jack at the end, and to attend the memorial service. My absence was solely due to lack of funds. Rest assured that I am there in spirit with you all. When I make it out there next, I will visit, if you wish.
I am embarrassed to say that Jack’s death caught me by surprise. After your blog entry on May 27th, when he was doing quite well, it seemed to me that Jack was one of those who had attained long-term recovery. My next news came from Phil’s letter last week about Jack’s passing into the higher realms. It was a tough reminder that nothing, nothing at all, can be taken for granted in this world, that the answer to the question "Isn't this the very moment when connection and caring would be most appropriate?" [Chellis Glendinning] is YES. “For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Jack Howard the professor delighted in gaining and sharing knowledge; now he not only has the joy of complete knowledge but also the knowledge of complete joy -- a knowledge for which we will have to wait a bit longer for until we reunite with him in the presence of the Lord.
“There was a message written in pencil on the tiles by the roller towel. This was it:WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?
Trout plundered his pockets for a pen or pencil. He had an answer to the question. But he had nothing to write with, not even a burnt match. So he left the question unanswered, but here is what he would have written, if he had found anything to write with: To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool.” [Kurt Vonnegut, “Breakfast of Champions”]
Nobody can ever call Jack Howard a fool. He allowed the Lord to work through him in ever so many ways. He also knew that his real treasures were in heaven; his heart was there with Christ. [Matthew 6:19-21] Whether or not Jack verbally expressed his faith was nowhere near as important as the example he gave of how to live guided by the Spirit.
It would have been nice for him as my supervisor for my graduate and post-doctoral work to have been around long enough to see me attain success professionally. Let me take that back. He will be able to see, but I won’t be able to see and hear his pleasure in it. In one other important way, I already have “made it”. When he signed my email “your friend, Jack”, I knew that he saw me as an equal. No paycheck can match that.
The doctoral thesis I wrote for Jack was dedicated “to the One who loved to play so much that He/She/It created a universe with 7 A[ngstrom] soccerballs in it.” {7 Angstroms is the diameter of the fullerene C60, roughly 30 billionths of an inch.] In days long passed, some considered how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Jack will no doubt let them know that the correct question is how many angels can play soccer there, and will help them arrive at the proper answer. As the chant goes: “May the long time Sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, guide your way home.” Jack is home now. It is our loss... and the world’s loss. But he lives on in our minds and hearts.
with my concern, sympathy, and love,
Chris
Christopher J. Pope
1550 Springtown Blvd. #17
E Livermore, CA 94551(925) 895-3424
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