LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Lou Howard, legendary foot-
ball coach, distinguished public servant, and devoted member of his
community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavors
serve to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Lou Howard, a lifelong resident of Amityville, New York, died
on Monday, January 25, at the age of 92; and
WHEREAS, Born on December 16, 1923, Lou Howard grew up in Long Island,
and proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army Air
Corps during World War II; and
WHEREAS, Following the completion of his military service, Lou Howard
earned his bachelor's degree from Springfield College in 1948, and
received his Master's degree in Educational Administration from New York
University; and
WHEREAS, With a love for teaching and mentoring young people, Lou
Howard became the beloved coach of the Amityville High School Football
Team where he helped lead his teams to nine consecutive league champion-
ships and five consecutive Rutgers trophies over 14 years; and
WHEREAS, An innovator in the sport he loved, Lou Howard authored
several books on football, including one on the shotgun formation, which
was the hallmark of his Amityville offense long before it became widely
used in professional football; and
WHEREAS, Lou Howard's knowledge of the psychology of coaching also
made him a sought-after speaker; he often delivered pre-game motivation-
al talks to such NFL teams as the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins
and the New Orleans Saints; he also gave a rousing speech to the Univer-
sity of Iowa Hawkeyes football team in 2010; and
WHEREAS, A man of many talents, Lou Howard completed his Ph.D. in
Aerospace Technology from Western Colorado University, and developed the
Aerospace program at SUNY Farmingdale, where he served as the program's
first Department Chairman; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed renaissance man also authored one of the first
texts instructing pilots on how use the instrument landing system; in
addition, he served as a flight instructor and FAA flight examiner, and
was appointed by Richard Nixon to serve on a federal advisory committee
to design the first space shuttle for NASA; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, Lou Howard celebrated the 50th Anniversary of
Charles Lindbergh's historic flight by retracing the pilot's famous
route, and spearheaded efforts to unite Le Bourget and Amityville as
sister cities, a cultural alliance which continues to thrive 35 years
later; and
WHEREAS, With a sense of civic responsibility, Lou Howard served
several terms as mayor of Amityville before being elected to the Suffolk
County Legislature, where he represented the 14th District and rose to
become the Presiding Officer of the Legislature; and
WHEREAS, Lou Howard was also elected to represent the 9th District in
the New York State Assembly, served two terms on the State University of
New York Board of Trustees, and recently retired from the Stony Brook
Council at Stony Brook University; and
WHEREAS, Lou Howard's commitment to excellence, and his spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; he was a newspaper publisher and former owner
of the AMITYVILLE RECORD and the SUFFOLK SUN, as well as a licensed real
estate broker, and small business owner; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, Lou Howard was an accomplished woodturner, and a
founding member of the Long Island Woodturner's Association; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his parents, Lou Howard is survived by his
wife of 67 years, Margaret (Webber); their seven children, Thomas (Pame-
la), Maureen (John), Bruce, Patrick (Anette), Margaret (Dietmar), Jane
(Robin), and Louis T., Jr.; and his 20 grandchildren, Trevor (Maureen),
Kaylie (Nicholas), Evan (Anna), Whitney, Leah, Margaret (Greta), John
(Jack) Alexander, Margot, Jacqueline, Lars, Olivia, Bjorn, Andrew,
Katherine, Blake, Claire, Quinn, Liam, and Aidan; as well as his nine
great-grandchildren, Tyler, Mairead, Shane, Brady, Ella, Callan, Maggie,
Reagan, and Brooke; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Lou Howard leaves behind a
remarkable legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Lou Howard, distinguished citizen and devoted member
of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Lou Howard.