Howard “Howie” McRae of Underhill, Vt., died on February 15, 2025, at the Arbors in Shelburne, Vt., after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was born on October 15, 1943, in Taunton, Mass., where he graduated from Bishop Coyle High School in 1961.
A quiet, deliberate man, Howie had a kind heart, an endearing chuckle and a belying twinkle in his eye. He lived, always, a very service-before-self sort of life, whether it was at work, at church, in the home, in his adopted Pleasant Valley or at the wax bench for the Mount Mansfield Union High School cross-country ski team.
Athletics weren’t an opportunity for Howie as a kid, so his primary focus was academics. After high school, he commuted to Boston College, earning a degree in chemistry before continuing his education as a graduate student at Notre Dame. It was at his first job out of college, with Westinghouse Defense and Space Center near Baltimore, where he met Nancy Stewart, a fellow
engineer. Nancy and Howie married on July 29, 1972, in Texas, Md., and quickly set a goal of moving to Vermont within two years. In summer 1973, they purchased a run-down farmhouse on Pleasant Valley Road in Underhill, Vt. The newlyweds quickly became active in the tight-knit farming and outdoor communities: raising pigs and horses, cutting firewood, clearing trail, and skiing — lots and lots of skiing. Son Rob and daughter Sue arrived in 1976 and 1977 and were quickly recruited to help out around the place. They were encouraged to pursue any sports they desired: soccer, downhill and Nordic skiing, horseback and bike riding. Howie and Nancy picked up many of these sports, too. Howie was an early adopter of mountain biking in the ’80s.
In Vermont, Howie worked at Haveg Super-Temp, later named Champlain Cable, to develop specialty wire insulations. He later worked for Belden Wire and Cable in Essex, Vt., and Richmond, Ind., and consulted for Belden in Nogales, Mexico. He finally retired from Harbor Industries, where the production staff extolled him for his kindness and for being one of the few
engineers who took the time to really explain the processes to them.
In the valley, free time was initially spent painting the house, replacing clapboards, refinishing wood floors, or tearing out plaster and lathe — great kindling for their two woodstoves. Soon that free time became consumed by following Rob and Sue on the athletic journey Howie never had as a youth. Vacations were spent not on airplanes but at races and games and, also, in the
garden, where Howie and Nancy grew and put up most of their own vegetables for years. This included a brief foray into organic carrots by the quarter acre.
The family also raised pigs and Holsteins for meat; both were sources of adventure, including the animals breaking out of fences and chasing family members. Sue’s Pony Club horses also kept the McRaes on their toes. Howie joined a group of men who mountain biked in the summer and cross-country skied in the dark on winter Thursday nights, followed by popcorn and
beer. It took Nancy’s encouragement every week to get the introvert out the door, but he always had a good time with the guys. There were also countless weekend “backcountry” ski adventures around Mount Mansfield over the years. Ever the athlete, Howie ran his first marathon at age 54 and would go on to run in 28 races in 24 states plus Québec, frequently winning his age
group.
If Howie wasn’t waxing skis or driving to soccer tournaments, he was trying to teach his children the periodic table of elements or consoling them when their cars met the odd ditch or telephone pole. When he became a grandfather, he patiently untangled fishing line, worked on puzzles and read books to his grandchildren. Around the dinner table, he was a wonderful listener and a wise contributor to any discussion. His encyclopedic memory was widely known, especially at Trivial Pursuit games during the holidays with family and neighbors.
Pleasant Valley was home for Howie and Nancy for more than 50 years, except for a five-year “exile” to Indiana when Belden closed its Essex plant. Throughout his years in Vermont, Howie taught religious education classes at St. Mary’s in Cambridge, sang in the holiday choir, and participated in many stewardship projects and fundraising activities for the church.
Howie leaves his wife of 52 years, Nancy; son, Robert (Elizabeth) of Big Sky, Mont.; daughter, Susan (Mark) Fell of Brighton, Colo.; five grandchildren, Finnegan and Maeve McRae, and Eleanor, Emmett and Otto Fell; sisters Nancy McRae of Pepperell, Mass., and Joan Ramsey of Deerfield, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Rhea (Perrault) and Howard McRae, and sister Joyce Anctil.
The family is grateful to all the staff at the Arbors for their loving care and kindness and to the hospice team and volunteers who assisted Howie.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, March 7, 2025, 4 to 6 p.m., at A.W. Rich Funeral Home — Essex Chapel. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 8, 2025, 11 a.m., at St. Thomas Church in Underhill Center. In lieu of flflowers, please consider a memorial donation to Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity or the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Please visit awrfh.com to share your memories and condolences.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2025.