Jerry Howell
When Protection Island lost Jerry Howell, we lost a quiet, gracious legend. He and his soulmate Thora have served up dinners and authors and scintillating conversation for decades. No one has ever left their home hungry – for food, for wisdom or for good, good company.
Obituary
Born in Detroit, raised and educated all over the US, before finally gracing Canada with his presence.
Jerome Gordon Howell 1930-2017
Jerry Howell, minister, bookseller and connoisseur of West Coast Island life, who thought of himself as the luckiest fellow in the world, passed away on November 9, 2017.
Born in Detroit Michigan, Jerry, an exceptional student, grew up in McAllen Texas, where he mastered Spanish. He joined the Air Force as an intelligence specialist during the Korean War and subsequently graduated from the University of Texas in 1957 with a degree in anthropology.
Always interested in social action, Jerry trained as a Unitarian minister at the Star King Divinity School in Berkeley. In 1968, he moved with his wife Elaine and children to Calgary, Alberta to lead the lively congregation at the Calgary Unitarian Church.
He later took on positions as a Human Resources administrator at the University of Alberta Library and the Vancouver School Board. In 1978, he and his wife, Thora began their careers as booksellers in Nanaimo, BC. Their store, The Bookstore on Bastion Street, was for many years a cultural institution in the growing city, and a place where Jerry was always happy to track down special orders.
Jerry will be greatly missed by Thora, his wife and partner of 45 years, his sons: Clayton (Linda); Andy (Trish); and Gordon (Shaun): as well as his much loved grandchildren: Addison, Aaron, Caity, Vinny, and Max.
Jerry had a passion for creating meaningful interactions with neighbours, friends, customers and fellow ferry passengers. He savoured companionship and conversation. He welcomed, listened to and shared opinions with everyone he encountered. He had a talent for reading aloud the literature that brought him joy: from poetry to James Thurber and especially the stories he could relay to audiences of rapt children.
He loved music of all kinds, especially chamber music. He would dance at the drop of a hat, having cultivated a graceful style for a tall man. He instinctively knew how to age with grace, dignity and love. Protection Island was a haven for him and Islanders remember his joyful spirit, his wit, his humour and his smile.
The family is appreciative of the care given by Dr. Love, Dr Swanson, Dr. Rumble, Dr. Bowen and Dr. Whitelaw and the medical staff of the NRGH 6th floor.
Please feel free to post your thoughts below:
Jerry Howell 
thank you for being on the planet, Jerry .. and in particular, for choosing this wee island for your and Thora’s home .. your are always loved .. 💕
LikeLike
his big smile said it all
lucky guy in life,
and in love.
LikeLike
My favorite memory of Jerry is from Christmas Story Time at the library a few years ago. He brought life to the story and sparkle to the eyes of all the little ones.
LikeLike
So sorry. He will be missed.
LikeLike
Dear Thora,
Sending you our love and heartfelt sympathy. Nothing we can say will heal the grief, but know that we both have wonderful memories of
you both from our long years on PI which we will always hold in our hearts! Jerry and you are what one would hope to find on a pirate island
but rarely do ……….. great treasure!!!
With love and warm Mexico hugs,
Lu and Garth
LikeLike
Jerry, your wisdom,warmth and fun spirit will live on in P.I. with all of those fortunate enough whose life you graced. You will be missed, dear man, but not forgotten. Thora, our hearts ache for you but know that you find great comfort in the wonderful lifetime of love and memories you shared with Jerry. Love, Pauline and Brian Taylor.
LikeLike
I remember travelling on the protection Island ferry and the joy of having conversations about religion. One theologian and one religious studies person.
LikeLike
May be gone, but will never be forgotten…..he was an amazing man, never a negative thought and always a quick smile…..
LikeLike
We felt a very deep sadness on hearing of Thora’s soulmate Jerry’s passing. Thoughts and prayers are sent to you Thora, from across the channel. Love from the Jorgensens
LikeLike
Jerry, the most distinguished, warm and welcoming man. Every time we met in moments here and there over the years, he welcomed, remembered, listened and shared fascinating things. My kindest hug to you Thora, who celebrated and shared such a gentle man. Colleen
LikeLike
Darling Thora, our heart goes out to you. Jerry was a lovely man and I am glad we got the chance to meet him. Such a gentle smile , and always a welcome for the stray authors you brought home. He was the perfect host and we enjoyed his wit and dinner conversations, and admired his support for all your endevours. We always think of the two of you as a unit, so know you will miss him dreafully. Love and Blessings to you Thora. Farewell Jerry, one of life’s most gracious men.
LikeLike
Dear Thora,
I’m sure you’ve been inundated with messages. Please know I’ve been thinking of you and sending you love. It strange to be so distant at a time like this, but parks in London, especially on November days, have for years been my place to go and walk and think and, in this case, start to feel the deep grief I know is going to linger for a long time.
It all happened so fast. At the party on the 31st I couldn’t even get near Jerry because, as usual, he was the centre of attention in your front room, which has always been such a joyous space where he can entertain and hold court. I looked over at some point to see how he was doing and he was listening, with his head tilted, totally present, smiling and nodding and waiting to interject with some generous summation, something like ‘Isn’t it amazing, this world we live in?’ or ‘Aren’t we lucky to be amongst such wonderful people?’ or ‘I just love watching your ideas form’ — which are all comments he made to me at some point. I always, always loved when he’d say these things, these reminders of the long view. The content of the evening was enjoyable — stories, ideas, poems, short plays, jokes, bits of Lawrence O’Donnell’s nightly monologue — but what was most important was that we’d gathered. We were with each other.
I knew him when he was a little younger, when he was at the book store, but most of my memories are of Jerry in his later years, when he seemed to have made a definitive choice about how to be old. His choice was: savour the hell out of what was important, dispense with the rest. You didn’t have to spend too many dinners at your place with him (though I got to spend so many, and usually had a overstuffed doggie bag at the end) to notice that what Jerry savoured was companionship and conversation and poetry and then, like a physical manifestation of all the sweetness of these things, a few large scoops of vanilla. Reading The New Yorker, listening to chamber music, eating your amazing meals — what else would you want from life? What else could compare? He took such an interest in me. He made me feel so confident. He was so happy about what I was creating. That joy made me want to create more. I’ll never forget him reading — fully interpreting — my little plays, making them his own, giving the assembled the gift of laughter and me the gift of watching a talented interpreter at work. Reading to kids, reading to adults, sharing his voice, his sense of humour, his timing — it was all part of his particular ongoing gift. Jerry was — he is — generous. His generosity doesn’t get to move into the past tense because I’m still feeling it. That’s what stays alive for me. It stays vital.
Your home and your dinner table have meant so much to me over the years. During those meals I was able to look over at Jerry for proof that certain traits don’t have to fade. You can be old and sly, old and humorous, engaged, enraged by injustice, aware of the world, aware of its inequality as well as its beauty. Perhaps he was even more aware of beauty around him, from the air on the porch and the light reflected on the water to those mountains in the distance. Once in a while, when we gathered in the summer and ate outside, I caught him sitting back as he surveyed the landscape. It struck me that he reconciled all the beauty in front of him, he wove it all together, it was inseparable: the beauty of the guests, the olives, the wine, your bread, the ideas, the setting, your home, the years you’d spent there. It was all before him. ‘Aren’t we lucky to be amongst such wonderful people?’
love you,
Craig
LikeLike
Craig, thank you for this articulate and wonderful tribute to Jerry and Thora. Your skill as an author and your love of Jerry express, so clearly, feelings that so many of us hold… Your mom talked about the special relationship you had with Jerry…thank you for sharing some of that with us.
LikeLike
Ah, Craig, you, as always in your writing, have portrayed our Jerry so poetically, One with the life of connection, richness and appreciation that he and Thora created, lived and shared with all of us they touched . . . of music, literature, philosophy, humour, fine food, film, friendship, and the sanctuary and beauty of our surrounds . . . the essence really of the great oneness of spirit, love and this sweet old world.
LikeLike
Marion and I had been to your house for lunch and I remember saying to Jerry that was fun I hope we do it again. He looked at me and said “how could we not” . I will never forget his unbridled joy and warmth. The fun he brought to reading touched us as well. He did read Rowen her favourite book after all .
LikeLike
Ken and Gloria Knowles
Remembering the generosity of Jerry and Thora
LikeLike
Jerry carried all the grace and kindness a person could possess. Someone mentioned that when Jerry spoke with you he gave his attention to you entirely, and this was most certainly true. He listened. A lovely man who left a deep indelible impression on our hearts.
Bob and Deb Brint
LikeLike
Jerry is one of the major reasons Darlene Zelazo and I came to live on this island. Jerry’s warmth and humour and stories were a wonderful introduction, as dinner with Jerry and Thora was the first experience we had here. One story (of many) he told was of the round dining table around which so many wonderful conversations and meals have taken place over the years. The table top was available at some kind of thrift shop in Vancouver when he and Thora lived there decades ago. It had no base, but that didn’t stop the young couple. They had no vehicle, but that didn’t stop them, either. I only wish I could have been on the streets of Vancouver that day they rolled it home, with infectious grins on both of their faces, I am certain. Much love, Jim MacQuarrie
LikeLike
Two days ago I was moving some binders full of my father’s negatives and a couple strips fell out onto the floor. I usually feel there’s a reason for everything so I investigated them further under the light on my desk. Both negative strips were of Jerry on his motorcycle, some were close-ups of his face with his helmet on and a big grin, the remaining ones were further back showing him and the full motorcycle with the same grin. It looks like one of these photos is in the gallery. I’ll always remember how genuinely warm he was, more so than most people I’ve ever met. He also had the uncanny ability to relate and befriend anyone no matter their background, interests, or age. I remember playing his Nintendo with him 25 years ago during his fascination with Super Mario Brothers phase. I also remember the last few times I saw him which included dinner at Thora & Jerry’s with family and bumping into him at the Dinghy Dock pub during a mid-day “work” break for drinks. Anytime you saw Jerry you knew it was going to be a good day.
LikeLike