Grace L. Howard formerly of Duxbury,  83, died on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Born in Franklin on March 28, 1917 to Edward and Mary Murray Leonard, the fourth child in a family of six sisters. 

She attended Brockton High School, graduating in 1935.  After graduation she moved to Boston where she worked for several years and met her future husband, Jim Howard, before deciding to return to school to become a teacher. These plans were cut short by World War II during which she was employed in the accounting department at Raytheon Corporation in Boston.{sidebar id=1}

On November 11, 1943 she married Jim Howard, who was then serving on active duty in the US Navy.  After the War, the couple moved to the South Shore, first to Marshfield and then to Duxbury where they raised their family and lived for many years.  While in Duxbury Grace was active in scouting and other volunteer activities and was an early member of the Holy Family Parish. 

She enjoyed gardening, family pets, and bringing her children to the beach at Shipyard Lane on summer afternoons.  In 2000, Grace moved to the Inn at Silver Lake in Kingston and in 2003 then relocated to Our Lady of Peace in Charlottesville, VA to be closer to her children. 

She suffered from probable Alzheimer’s Disease for the last several years of her life.  Her husband Jim, her parents and four of her five sisters preceded her in death. 

She leaves her three children, Dr. James Howard Jr. and his wife Dr. Darlene Howard, of Saint Leonard, MD, Ms. Mary K. Rady and her husband John of Charlottesville, VA, and Dr. John B. Howard and his wife Dr. Sharon Prado of Scottsdale, AZ, as well as her grandchildren, Joshua Rady of Charlottesville, VA, Meaghan Rady of Calif., Jeffrey Howard of Texas, and Megan Prado of Cambridge. She also leaves a sister Edna Atkinson of Melrose.

Funeral services were held on Mon., March 3, at 9 a.m. followed by a mass at Holy Family Church in Duxbury at 10 a.m. Burial took place in Mayflower Cemetery in Duxbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cardinal Cushing Centers Attn: Development Dept. 405 Washington St. Hanover MA 02339.{sidebar id=6}