Allan Niles Howe, beloved friend of many, passed away on Sunday, November 1, 2020, at the age of 67 after a long illness.
Allan, the son of Harry Howe and Verna Howe Mahoney and step-father Charles Mahoney (all who preceded him in death), was born in Longmeadow, Mass., and raised in a home his grandfather built in the early 1900s. He graduated from Longmeadow High School in 1972 and received an associate degree from Springfield Technical Community College. He summered on the Vineyard with his family during his childhood. He made the decision to make Martha’s Vineyard his permanent home in the late 1970s. On the Vineyard, his first job was for the Oak Bluffs Historical Survey, and he later transitioned into being the Hotel Manager at the Colonial Inn and then the Wesley Hotel. After leaving the hotel industry, he was a Landscaping Designer for twenty years, which was truly a labor of love. His love of all things growing showed in the care he took in maintaining and installing garden landscapes. His clients appreciated his attention to detail and his consideration of their wants and needs.
He was proud of being a descendant of an officer on the Mayflower. During these last few years, he was a Board Member of Island Health and spent much of his time catching up with old friends and indulging in his love for art, food, and conversation. He was known for his quick wit, loving spirit, and his kind and compassionate spirit. His diverse group of friends will always remember him for his gracious and famous dinner parties.
A private life celebration event will take place on August 12 on Martha’s Vineyard, and a burial service will be held in Longmeadow, Mass., in the fall of 2021. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made in his memory to the Polly Hill Arboretum (West Tisbury, Mass.) and to the Cape and Islands Visiting Nurses Association.
