Laureen Ng
As Michelle, Ben and I are his nieces and nephew that live in Washington, we feel so lucky that Uncle Howard and Bryan were our closest family, who we got to spend many summers with growing up. They would take us to Great America, mini golf, swimming, arcades, drive-in movies, and more. They made time for us, and as kids, that was all we could ask for. Howard was the cool Uncle, with the calm, carefree and easy-going presence, yet he seemed to always be magically prepared for anything.
I have enjoyed more watching him become a husband to Emily, who has treated us like her own family from day one, and father to our beautiful cousin Charlotte. They were the family that I looked up to for inspiration as I started my own. The time we have all spent together as our families grew will always be cherished.
In his honor, we will always remember to take more photos with a selfie stick, celebrate any occasion with cake and cut them with the utmost focus and precision, and my favorite which speaks to his quirkiness -- drink coffee out of a Pyrex glass measuring cup, because he explained that the handle allows for a better grip than a regular mug, and he had a good point. Most of all, we will enjoy the simple life, just like he did.