UPDATES July 7, 2008 11:00 PM EST

July 7, 2007
11:00 PM EST

Jack went home to be with his Lord this morning at 11:05 AM. He died in his sleep shortly after I had come home after sleeping over night near him last evening. The nurses had gone in to turn him and bath him. He stopped breathing as they were settling him.

There is a wonderful hymn called “O That Will Be Glory”
It is based on Romans 8:18 – “The sufferings of this present day are nothing compared to the glory to come.”

The Hymn words are as follows:

“When all my labors and trials are o’er, And I am safe on that beautiful shore, Just to be near the dear Lord I adore will through the ages be glory for me.

When by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place, Just to be there and look on His face will through the ages be glory for me.

Friends will be there I have loved long ago; Joy like a river around me will flow; Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know, Will through the ages be glory for me.

O that will be glory for me, glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.”

As my 8 year old niece, Sydney, called to tell me today, “ Uncle Jack has finished the race, and has won the prize” - the prize of seeing his Lord face to face.

We are thankful for all of you that have traveled this journey with us. You made our burden so much lighter. Just know that we are rejoicing with a heavy heart as we are sure you are as well.

Arrangements for the services are pending and should be finalized in the next day or so. We plan to have a memorial service for Jack most likely next week in Boston with another service in September in KY. Burial will be private in KY.

Love and blessings to each of you,
Carolyn and family


From: Klavs F. Jensen [mailto:kfjensen@MIT.EDU] Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 1:29 PMTo: cheme-fac-sl-em@mit.edu; cheme-support@mit.edu; cheme-computerSubject: Jack Howard 1937-2008

It is with great sadness that I report that Jack Howard passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning after a long courageous struggle with brain cancer. Jack joined the department a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow after receiving his doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1965, and remained a very active and highly regarded member of the Department as assistant, associate and full professor until his retirement in 2002. In 1995 he was named the first holder of the Hoyt C. Hottel Chair of Chemical Engineering. Jack was a world-renowned expert on high temperature chemistry, especially mechanisms and kinetics of reactions in combustion, fuel processing, materials synthesis, and waste destruction. He made seminal contributions to many challenging research areas, including formation and oxidation polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fullerenes and soot in flames as well as pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of coal, biomass and solid waste. Jack’s expertise with these important issues at the forefront of energy challenges facing the world will be deeply missed.

He was also the inventor of the combustion synthesis technology for fullerene production and in 2001 founded the company Nano-C, a leading developer of nanostructured carbon materials, including fullerenes, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and their chemical derivatives. He participated actively in this company after his retirement.

We will all miss Jack for his deep technical knowledge and his gentle, firm advice to students and faculty alike.

Jack and his family began this struggle with his brain tumor last summer. It has been a courageous battle with ups, downs, and at times some humor. Many of you have followed his struggle through the Howard Family Blog. Jack has had incredible support from his family. He was very blessed to have had them close by supporting him and one another. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Carolyn Howard, children, Courtenay and Jonathan, and his extended family. A memorial service is planned – more information will follow.

Klavs
Chair of Chemical Engineering Department