Beth – professor, city planner, gardener, baker, quilter and volunteer – died 19 May in Brunswick, Maine.Beth – professor, city planner, gardener, baker, quilter and volunteer – died 19 May in Brunswick, Maine.
Beth grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Dr. Sarah Tower and Dr. Howard Howe, both research physicians at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Beth grew up with her elder brother Sheldon, an artist and devout Christian, with whom she was very close, and who lived with her for a period towards the end of his life.
Beth was academically gifted, and like her mother was part of the Phi Beta Kappa society. And she was tough. As a young woman she lived alone in a small flat in New York while pursuing her PhD supervised by a professor down in California. The flat only had direct sunlight for a few days every year around midsummer, and even got burgled once while she was inside sleeping.
She stayed adventurous, and travelled many places. She had a research stay in Japan. There she was provided with a steaming hot bath. It was too hot for her, but she was too kind-hearted to let her host know. Instead, she made splashing noises in the bath so the host would think she was enjoying it.
Her career brought her to Madison, Wisconsin where she taught and kept up her work on ethics and civil planning. There she also met her future husband, Mac Passano. She told of how when they first started their relationship, he invited her over and cooked dinner. She was very impressed by his skills and risk-taking when he opted for making a soufflé for dessert. Slightly further in he gave her a sew-your-own duvet kit, and she had to choose whether she thought the relationship was promising enough to make the duvet. Mac and all of his relatives are very grateful that she did.
While at Madison she researched and wrote a book on ethics and civil planning, interviewing town planners throughout the country, and enlisting Mac as driver and travel companion. Her academic partner was Jerry Kaufman.
They retired early due to Mac’s heart condition, and moved across the country to his childhood holiday retreat of Chebeague, Maine. There she volunteered her time tirelessly, and became an integral part of the island community. She and Mac would make donuts for the annual vaccination day, count baby lobsters on the beaches, and she worked hard towards Chebeague’s town independence. This work also brought her to meetings on the mainland, and she kept a duvet in the car for the times when the meetings ran too late for her to catch the last ferry home. She also dedicated herself to her garden, a beautiful combination of flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables.
The first "MacBeth" concert was a present from Mac to Beth. She later took over as the primary organizer of the MacBeth concert series, a series of concerts held every summer on Chebeague, bringing in musicians from far away and sharing the music freely. Though they have stepped down from running them, the concerts continue. She also volunteered with the Ladies Aid on Chebeague, fundraising through selling home-made crafts. And she was a key person in the Chebeague Island Community Association (CICA), where island volunteers came together and built new houses to bring young families to Chebeague to revitalise the island. Some of these families are still there and became her dear friends.
Mac had a daughter, Lise, from his first marriage, and eventually two grandchildren appeared. Beth welcomed these with open arms, making quilts and sharing her knowledge of baking.
Beth leaves behind loving husband Mac Passano, stepdaughter Lise Passano, grandchildren Sigrid and Ottar Passano Hellan, and brother-in-law Peter Passano and his wife Marina Dale-Passano.
Beth will be dearly missed.
Mac Passano invites the Chebeague community to a memorial reception for Beth Howe on July 25th at 12:30
at Barbara Marks’ house, 9 Ruel Rd. Beth was a wonderful contributor to many island organizations.