Scheduled Services

Posts Tagged ‘HOWARD BLISS LEAVITT, HOWARD BLISS LEAVITT obituary, Funeralworks Obituary, Douglass Funeral Service’

PostHeaderIcon HOWARD BLISS LEAVITT of AMHERST, MASS, August 4, 1924 – October 13, 2016

 

 

Amherst, Howard Bliss Leavitt of Amherst, MA died peacefully at the age of 95 after a wonderful life of two marriages, children, travel, and an international career spanning almost half a century.

 

Born in New York City, Howard spent his early years in Beirut, Lebanon as the son of the president of International College, a prep school associated with the American University of Beirut (AUB) which had been founded by his great grandfather in 1866.  Howard came back to the US for a year at Vermont Academy and then on to Dartmouth College, from which he graduated early after the outbreak of World War II.  Just after joining the Navy, Howard married his college sweetheart Margaret Mentzer and was soon sent, as a Communications Officer, to the Pacific island of Saipan where he witnessed the flyover of B-29’s on their way to Japan.  After the War, Howard earned Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education from Columbia University, and began teaching at Northern Illinois State Teachers College (now Northern Illinois University).  Later, Howard and Margaret, along with three sons spent 2 years in Beirut where he taught at AUB, adding a fourth son for good measure. Returning to the US in the late-50’s the family moved to the Boston area where Howard taught at Boston University.  In 1962 he joined the US State Department in the Agency for International Development (USAID) where he spent a number of years in Washington and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil setting up and analyzing US sponsored educational projects around the globe.  Recognized as an expert in international education, he became the Coordinator of International Programs at Pennsylvania State University, soon followed by his return to Washington to work for the World Bank, under the leadership of Robert McNamara.  Howard completed his career as a visiting professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 

 

Throughout his life Howard loved independence, intellectual accomplishment, and adventure.  Along with wife Margaret and his sons he was an avid mountain climber, camper, cave explorer, and power boater.  He wrote and published dozens of academic works and wrote and/or edited several books, including First Encounters, Native Voices on the Coming of the Europeans in 2010.  In his later years Howard became interested in creating art and over a 20 year span produced wonderful oil paintings. 

 

After the death of Margaret, in 1997 in Amherst, Howard met and married Joan Ibish, herself an accomplished academician.  Together they toured the world from China to the Mediterranean, spending summers at the Leavitt compound on Pine Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

 

Howard was predeceased by wife Margaret and son Ken Leavitt (Tina).  He is survived by wife Joan, sons Hunt Leavitt (Hilary), John Leavitt (Judy Norton), and Don Leavitt (Todd Paine); grandchildren Sarah Leavitt (Kevin Postma), Ben Leavitt, Jennifer Tietjen (Garrett), Lydia Leavitt, Vivian Leavitt, and Christopher Leavitt; two great granddaughters, both named Caroline.

 

 

Current Obituaries
To view full obituary details and/or sign the Memorial Guestbook click desired individual below.

ERIC DAY of EASTHAMPTON, MA died on March 1, 2024

ROBERT GRAY of AMHERST died on March 22, 2024

JOANNA HAYES of SHUTESBURY died on March 15, 2024

DENISON HARTMAN JONES of FLORIDA died on March 9, 2024

DONNA LEVIN of AMHERST died on March 23, 2024

MARTHA CHASE MITCHELL of AMHERST, MA died on February 11, 2024

LORNA M. PETERSON of AMHERST, MA died on March 16, 2024

PETER ALBERT (PAW) WARD of AMHERST died on March 3, 2024


Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!