Obituary of Merry Bowers Howland

Merry Bowers Howland, 65, of South Orange died on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007, in Overlook Hospital, Summit. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorial service at Morrow Memorial Methodist Church, 600 Ridgewood Rd., Maplewood, on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. Interment will be private. Visitation will be held at Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Ave., South Orange, on Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information or to send condolences, please visit prestonfuneralhome.net. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mrs. Howland lived in South Orange for 35 years. She was a social worker for the Newark Board of Education from 1976 to the present. She was a life member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and earned a B.A. in liberal arts from Drew University in 1964 and a masters degree in social work from Rutgers University in 1974. She was the beloved wife of Richard Howland; devoted mother of David and his loving companion, Tara, Keir, Christopher, Matthew and his wife, Sarah, Adam, Ian and Mark Howland; loving grandmother of Steven, Conor and Thaddeus; dear sister of Thomas Bowers. In lieu of flowers, donations to Protestant Community Centers Inc., 25 James St., Newark, N.J. 07102 or Jersey Animal Coalition, 298 Walton Ave., South Orange, N.J. 07079 in memory of Merry Bowers Howland would be appreciated.