Marilyn L. (Lopes) Howard, 71, of Fairhaven passed away Saturday, June 30, 2012 at the Royal of Fairhaven after a courageous battle with an extended illness.
Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Paul A. and Gertrude (Nunes) Lopes, she graduated from Fairhaven High School in 1958 and Regis College in 1962. She later received her Masters Degree from Boston University. She grew up in Fairhaven and lived in Boston, California as well as the Philippines before returning to Fairhaven in the late 1980’s.
Marilyn joined the Peace Corp from 1962-1964 and worked as a tutor, counselor/ language arts instructor for the Job Corp. She also was a Reading Clinician at the Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Brighton. She enjoyed gardening, yard work, reading and trips to her lakeside camp in Maine.
She is survived by three brother, Antone P. Lopes and his wife Diane, Daniel N. Lopes and John P. Lopes all of Fairhaven; her former husband Wendell T. Howard of Houston, TX; a nephew, Paul Lopes; three nieces, Amanda and Kimberly Lopes and Heather Schultz; and several great nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins.
In accordance with her wishes, private services were held at St. Anthony’s Cemetery in Mattapoisett, Saturday, July 7, 2012 under the direction of the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, Fairhaven.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Pl. West, Brookline, MA 02445. For memorial register go to, www.hathawayfunerals.com.