It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Howard William Martin, age 64, on February 12th from a courageous battle with prostate cancer. Howard is fondly remembered by his beloved wife Susan, Sons Aaron (Dustine) and Alexander (Clare), Daughter April, Grandchildren Brixton and Callum, Sister Patricia Martin-Heath (Nick), Nieces Katie and Chrissie, In-Laws Gary and Pat Moore. He is predeceased by his parents, Bill and Edith Martin, and sister, Gayle Laird.

Howard was born in Banff, Alberta on May 28, 1959. When Howard was seven, his family moved to Grenada for two years while his father helped open a business school. Howard and his family then relocated to Duncan where he had fond childhood memories growing up. After graduating from Cowichan High Secondary, Howard worked in the popular logging industry where he learned the blue-collar life was not for him. He enrolled to Malaspina College and BCIT where he pursued a career in business and transportation. While studying at BCIT Howard met the love of his life, Susan, at the local “Duncan Days” celebration.

After two years of dating, the young couple married in 1985. Not long after, he started his successful career as a sales professional in the transportation industry and spent 32 years with Andlauer Transportation Services (ATS Healthcare). Howard was dedicated to his craft and was highly regarded from his customers, peers and colleagues as the kindest and caring human. He often told his children two quotes that were the root of his success: “People don’t care how much you know, till they know how much you care” and “I gave them Howie love”.

In November 1990 Howard achieved his biggest goal in life and became a father to his son Aaron. Soon after he repeated his biggest joy by having his son Alex and then to complete their family, had a beautiful daughter, April. When Howard had children, he lived his life selflessly and was the ultimate family man. He worked hard to provide them a great home, where he enjoyed keeping a well-manicured landscape and vegetable garden. Howard was a great support system through all his children’s endeavours and a cheerleader for them in their many sports. Howard grew up with a love for the outdoors and passed this love on to his family by taking them hiking, skiing, boating, and water skiing every year. In his later years, you could often find Howard spending his time on the ice, curling with his wife, or on the green, golfing with his family and friends. Howard always wanted to explore the world and he did so with Susan, going on cruises in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska, and Maritimes of Canada, and traveled to Australia and the UK.

Howard believed in making the most out of life, and he achieved that goal in his short 64 years. He did not shy away from any new experience or challenge; he would welcome it with open arms, success or fail, all for the opportunity of saying he did it. Howard would say he hated attention and was deemed “Humble Howie” by his loved ones but would never shy away from the opportunity to say a quick-witted joke and light up the room with laughter. He had a unique gift of making everyone feel seen and heard and always had the perfect solution to every problem. Howard would give everything he had to those around him and was a long-time donor to several charities and foundations. The biggest gift he gave this world was his love, which his family and anyone fortunate enough to have known him felt.

If there is one thing Howard would want you to do in memory of him, is not fear away from any challenges.

We leave with Howards favourite bible verse, Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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