David Michael Howard

David Michael Howard beloved son of Doris Ray Thayer and husband of Deborah Prochaska Howard died Saturday July 21, 2012 in Sacramento, California, three weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 64. In addition to his mother and wife he is survived by many cadres of friends and colleagues from coast to coast who will miss his wry humor, wit (occasionally wicked), and clever imagination. David was born in St. Louis and attended the University of Missouri, Columbia earning a B.A. in History and a Masters Degree in Regional Planning and Community Development. He was also awarded a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Michigan. For 35 years David was a leader in the fields of political advocacy and community organization, candidate and issue campaigns, and government service in the field of community-based human services. He was a pioneer in the emergence of the aging network in the early seventies, the broader human services field in the eighties and a nationally recognized political strategist until his death. Since 2010 he was a co-editor of the California Target Book; in 2010 and 2011 he served as a national judge for the American Association of Political Consultants; and earlier this year he was honored to be named to the National Advisory Board of the Institute of Government Studies at U. C. Berkeley. David was a passionate and talented nature photographer, a voracious reader, and lover of music of nearly all genres (no smooth jazz or elevator music for him, thank you!) The family requests memorial contributions if any be made to: The Siteman Cancer Center Washington University Campus Box 1204 7425 Forsyth Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105-2161 The Center is an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, education and community outreach and is the only cancer center in Missouri and within a 240-mile radius of St. Louis to hold the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute and holds membership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Given the evil nature of this disease, every contribution to help find better treatments and cures is a wise investment. Friends of IGS c/o Institute of Governmental Studies 109 Moses Hall # 2370 University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-2370 The mission of the Institute of Government Studies is to expand understanding of governmental institutions and the political process, build the intellectual capital and practical skills of the next generation of political teachers and leaders, and inform and invigorate public debate on important issues. This is something that Dave has done his entire career from his first advocacy action as a student at the University of Missouri - Columbia and most recently with the CA Association of Realtors here in CA - and every stop in between. July 23, 2012, David Howard, CA realtors association political director, dies David M. Howard, the political director for the California Association of Realtors, died Saturday, three weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 64. "I'll remember how smart he was politically, and his shoot-from-the-hip style," said lobbyist Bob Giroux, a close friend of Howard's. "He was very savvy. He knew everything about campaigns, from reading the polls to figuring out the messaging." Howard served on the national advisory council of UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies and on the editorial board of the California Target Book, which handicaps elections. At the realtors association, he managed federal, state and local political action committees. Prior to joining the California Association of Realtors in 2000, Howard worked for the California Association of Health Plans and AARP. He is survived by his wife Deborah. ~Lauren Rosenhall, Sacramento Bee Online Blog