Katherine R. Howard was one of seven children born to the late Arthur Boone and Lucille (Minor) Boone on December 18, 1927 in Everett, Massachusetts. As a young child, Katherine and most of her siblings (including her surviving sisters Lucille and Christine) entered foster care. She remained close with all her siblings, however, as they continued to grow up together. In 1947, Katherine married George C. Howard in Everett. She later moved to Boston as her family continued to grow, raising her children in the Orchard Park Housing Project. She was a well-known and well-loved community leader in Orchard Park. In this small community, Katherine partook in a fierce camaraderie -- a vow to watch out for the neighborhood children, to teach respect for elders, to encourage education, and to work hard. Above all, there was an abundance of love. Though she was baptized as a child, in her early-adult years Katherine was baptized again at Cathedral of the Holy Cross. She was a dedicated and active member of St. Francis De Sales, attending mass each Sunday well into her senior years.
Katherine received her elementary and secondary education from Everett public schools in Everett, Massachusetts. She attended Wheelock and New York University to obtain a degree in early childhood education. Following her post-secondary education, she taught at various schools in the Boston area including Orchard Park Housing Project’s Head Start program and Cooper Community Center until she retired from teaching in 1988. Katherine was incredibly passionate about education, so after spending years persistently earning her own degree, she continuously urged her children, grandchildren, and students to always endeavor toward higher education. Anyone who knew her - be it by Katherine, Kate, Ma, Nana, Auntie, or Mother Howard - knows she was outspoken to say the least. She never hesitated to bestow her opinion on you, whether you wanted to hear it or not. She was known for her telltale honesty and good humor. Katherine leaves many people to cherish her memory. She is survived by her siblings: Lucille Gary, Christine Cook; her children: Anita, Stephen (Cynthia), Keith, Brenda, Ronald, Patricia; her step-children: Evelyn Moran, Michelle Moran, Denise Issac (Wesley-deceased), Annette Beckford, William Moran III (Casandra), and Michael Moran (LaDawn); niece and nephew Debra and Brian Gary; sister-in-law Emma Ferriabough, dearest friend Ella Sumpter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and other relatives and friends. She will be welcomed in heaven by her other siblings Leon, Ernest, Dorothy, Arthur, her step-daughter Constance Terrell, and her grandson Sean Howard. Visiting with her family will be held at St. Katherine Drexel Church 175 Ruggles St. Roxbury on Saturday August 5 at 11 am. Her Funeral Mass will begin at 12 noon. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Hyde Park.