Thomas Howard, 63, Died; Lifelong Adventurer
Thomas Howard, loving and beloved husband, father, sibling and friend, well-respected economist and lifelong adventurer, died last week at the age of 63 while mountaineering in the Adirondacks. Many will remember him for his deep morality, his thoughtfulness, his loving nature, his intellectual capacity, his generosity, and his playful sense of humor.
Thomas Andrew Howard was born on October 8, 1958 in Richmond, Virginia to Rufus and Martha Howard, the fourth of seven children. At both the Highgate School in London and at Hopkins School in New Haven, he was an avid track and cross country runner, at one point setting the 10K record in Britain for his age group. While a student at Dartmouth College, he studied math under John Kemeny and became his teaching assistant. He completed an honors thesis exploring the equations and logic required to teach computers to talk. He went on to acquire a doctorate in economics from Yale University, where he expanded on an interest in econometrics and completed a dissertation on employment uncertainty under advisor Robert Shiller.
Over the course of a 40-plus year career, Tom worked as a computer programmer for the Pentagon, a macroeconomist for Fuji Bank, and as a consultant for Arthur D. Little and PIRA Energy. He was skilled in forecasting, econometrics, data analysis, and formulating options trading strategies. His other employers included Louis Dreyfus, Statoil, and, most recently, the Department of Defense.
Tom was an accomplished mountaineer and hiker. He spent over forty years climbing some of the most challenging mountains on the globe: ascending Mt. McKinley, Mt. Huascaran in Peru, and Xixabangma Peak in the Himalayas, to name but a few. He hiked the 273-mile Long Trail in Vermont and the entirety of the 2,000-mile long Appalachian Trail, from Maine to Georgia. In October 2021, he crossed the entire White Mountain Presidential Range in one day. Tom aspired to climb the second-highest mountain on each of the seven continents and had finished the first part of this journey when he scaled Mt. Kenya in the fall of 2021.
Tom is survived by his wife, Zhu Zhang Howard (Julie), and daughters Gwendolyn and Madison Howard. He met Julie while working in New York; they were married in 1993, and moved to Westport, CT in 1997. He is also survived by his six siblings Margaret Paar of Niantic, CT, James Elbert of Wallingford, CT, Amy Howard Chase of New Rochelle, NY, Mary Howard of Branford, CT, Martha Howard of Guilford, CT and Emily Howard of Washington, DC; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation hours at the Courtyard Marriott, 474 Main Street, Norwalk will be on Friday, March 25, 2022 from 5:00-8:00PM. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 11:00 AM at St. Luke Catholic Church in Westport and can be viewed via livestream by visiting https://www.saintlukewestport.org. A reception will follow to celebrate his remarkable life. Masks are recommended.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the name of Tom Howard to Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks (SARNAK), benefitting search and rescue efforts in the Northern Adirondacks, or to Saint Luke Catholic Church. SARNAK's Paypal can be found at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1358274 and St. Luke's Paypal can be found at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/SaintLukeRCChurch?locale.x=en_US.
To send an online condolence, please visit www.shaughnesseybanks.com.
Town Announces Free Tax Preparation Services
The Town of Westport:The Town of Westport Department of Human Services is currently offering the no cost, full-service VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, with special attention to seniors and low to moderate income households, via on-site personal counseling by appointment at Town Hall or Westport’s Center for Senior Activities or virtually through a secure internet site.
On-site counseling at Town Hall will be available on Mondays from 1-6pm and at Westport’s Center for Senior Activities on Wednesdays from 9am- 4pm and Thursdays 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm ending April 15, 2022. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 860-590-8910. The virtual option can be accessed via https://simplifyct.org .
The free Tax Assistance Program is the nation’s largest, free volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service and is available to all individual filers regardless of income or age. During the last full tax season across the nation some 65,000 IRS-certified volunteers provided this service at more than 9,000 sites. Some three and a half million taxpayer returns were prepared and filed via this service throughout the country. In Connecticut about 52,000 federal returns were processed, in addition to an equal number of State returns and many amended filings from prior years.
More than 5,000 of these returns were prepared and filed – almost all electronically - by the counselor group that services the Town of Westport. Federal refunds totaling $4,500,000 were received by these clients, more than 80% of which were from tax credits such as for education and earned income.
Before starting either the on-site or virtual filings taxpayers must have the following types of information available:
Identity Documentation:
- Government Issued Photo ID.
- Social Security or ITIN numbers for all taxpayers and dependents.
- Bank account/routing numbers (blank check preferable), if expecting a refund.
All 2021 income report forms received:
- SSA1099 if you were paid Social Security benefits.
- W-2(s) from your employer(s).
- W-2G from gambling winnings.
- 1099G from unemployment compensation payments.
- 1099s: Bank interest, stock dividends, retirement distributions, broker statements.
Other Important Documents:
If itemizing deductions, receipts for expenses such as taxes paid (real estate, vehicle) and charitable contributions; and verification of the original purchase price of sold assets (home, stocks).
Form 1095-A if health insurance was from the Access Health Connecticut Marketplace.
Verification if applicable, including notices from the IRS, of stimulus payments and/or advanced Child Tax Credits received.
And preferably, for Reference, A Copy of last year’s (TY 2020) Return
Many of the same IRS-Certified volunteers who have been serving the Town of Westport’s sties for years will be available to prepare taxpayer returns; Westport Human Services and the Center for Senior Activities are pleased to again partner with these IRS-certified preparers to offer this valuable service to the community.
Governor Lowers Flags to Half Mass to remember Madeleine Albright
Governor Ned Lamont: Governor Ned Lamont today announced that – in accordance with a proclamation from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directing flags to be lowered throughout the country as a mark of solemn respect for Madeleine Albright – he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to fly at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
“Madeleine Albright championed human rights across the globe,” Governor Lamont said. “In every role in which she served, she promoted peace and democracy, something we need today more than ever. She was a trailblazer who made our homeland safer by strengthening relationships with people and nations around the globe. Her passing is a terrible loss to our nation that will be felt well beyond our borders. Annie and I send condolences to her friends and family.”
Morning Weather Report
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Tonight
Rain, mainly after 8pm. Low around 37. East wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
Rain. High near 50. East wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
Rain. Low around 43. East wind around 6 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.