Shirley Martin Howard
September 19, 1919 ~ April 24, 2014
Obituary for Shirley Martin Howard
Shirley Martin Howard, age 94, retired obstetrician/gynecologist, died on April 24, 2014, after several years of declining health. She was a resident of Hermitage of Northern Virginia in Alexandria, VA. The middle daughter of Dr. Charles Alexander and Beulah Thrash Martin, Dr. Howard was born in 1919 in Amherstdale, a coal mining town in the West Virginia mountains, where her father served as the Amherst Coal Company doctor. Dr. Howard earned her bachelor's degree at Marshall College in Huntington, WV, and graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA, in 1943. She received her OB/GYN training at Gallenger City Hospital in Washington, DC, under the tutelage of Dr. John Parks. Howard established her private medical practice in Washington, DC, in 1950, at a time when women were seldom practicing physicians, let alone surgeons. She moved the practice to Falls Church, and delivered many babies and cared for many GYN patients in the metro DC area, until her retirement in 1985. She served on the faculty of George Washington University School of Medicine from 1950s until 1983. In 1956, she married cardiologist Dr. Robert L. Howard, who preceded her in death.
Dr. Howard served as president of the Washington OB/GYN Society in the 1970s. She was a member of the American Medical Women's Association and the American Medical Association. She was a golfer and loved music, especially the harmonica, which she played since childhood.
Dr. Howard is survived by her daughter, Susan Howard Askren of Alexandria, VA, son-in-law Rev. Carter Askren, granddaughters Emma and Eliana Askren, her sister Maxine Waugh of Cary, NC, and many devoted nieces, nephews and extended family.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM, Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 6201 Washington Blvd., Arlington, the Rev. Dr. Scott S. Ickert officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Shirley Martin Howard Scholarship Fund c/o The Marshall University Foundation, Foundation Hall, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Shirley Martin Howard, age 94, retired obstetrician/gynecologist, died on April 24, 2014, after several years of declining health. She was a resident of Hermitage of Northern Virginia in Alexandria, VA. The middle daughter of Dr. Charles Alexander and Beulah Thrash Martin, Dr. Howard was born in 1919 in Amherstdale, a coal mining town in the West Virginia mountains, where her father served as the Amherst Coal Company doctor. Dr. Howard earned her bachelor's degree at Marshall College in Huntington, WV, and graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA, in 1943. She received her OB/GYN training at Gallenger City Hospital in Washington, DC, under the tutelage of Dr. John Parks. Howard established her private medical practice in Washington, DC, in 1950, at a time when women were seldom practicing physicians, let alone surgeons. She moved the practice to Falls Church, and delivered many babies and cared for many GYN patients in the metro DC area, until her retirement in 1985. She served on the faculty of George Washington University School of Medicine from 1950s until 1983. In 1956, she married cardiologist Dr. Robert L. Howard, who preceded her in death.
Dr. Howard served as president of the Washington OB/GYN Society in the 1970s. She was a member of the American Medical Women's Association and the American Medical Association. She was a golfer and loved music, especially the harmonica, which she played since childhood.
Dr. Howard is survived by her daughter, Susan Howard Askren of Alexandria, VA, son-in-law Rev. Carter Askren, granddaughters Emma and Eliana Askren, her sister Maxine Waugh of Cary, NC, and many devoted nieces, nephews and extended family.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM, Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 6201 Washington Blvd., Arlington, the Rev. Dr. Scott S. Ickert officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Shirley Martin Howard Scholarship Fund c/o The Marshall University Foundation, Foundation Hall, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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Such a great life, I’m honored to have known her. Love to you and yours Susan.
Can one be sad and glad at the same time? So glad she was spared long illness. I will always miss her. She was special. Hugs Betty C
I will always remember Shirley as being kind and caring to me and my children. I enjoyed every moment of knowing her.
It was our honor and pleasure to know Shirley. She was a warm, wonderful and caring person. We will cherish the time we spent together. May your most beautiful memories be a comfort to you at this very difficult time. Love to all.
What a lovely lady! I will always remember her generosity to fund the Foxfire Library at our clubhouse in Naples, FL. Shirley and Bob loved contributing to the community and wanted to help fund the growth of our library and spread the joy of reading and literature to our residents. She touched so many people in so many ways; what a gracious way to live a full life. We mourn her passing but celebrate a wonderful memory of a lovely lady.
A beautiful, kind soul. I feel so grateful to have known Dr. Martin. I have wonderful memories of her warmth and great sense of humor. Such fun dancing the shag to the Beatles and zooming around Shady Side in her little boat! I cherish the beautiful memories of an amazing lady. Love to you Susan, Carter and family.
I only spoke to Dr Shirley Howard a few times while visiting my friend Garnell at The Hermitage. One day Shirley entered the visiting room while we were visiting Garnell. Shirley got to hold Garnell’s Great Grand Daughter. The look of joy on Shirley’s face was Priceless! I couldn’t help but to think of all the babies she held in her lifetime. I just smiled.
I was an anesthesiologist at Northern Virginia doctors Hospital and knew Dr. Shirley Martin Howard when she was in practice there. She was a very competent gynecologist and always a pleasure to work with.
Shirley was so many things to us. She was my first Gyn doc, my mentor, my hero. She was respected and appreciated as a colleague by the DC metro medical community, fun to operate with, and an advocate for women in medicine and the AMWA. I still cherish books from her medical library. As a loving mom, she was a hostess with the mostess to my sister when she visited her childhood (and adulthood)friend, Susan.
Dr. Martin spoiled me for other doctors to this day. She was so gracious and easy to talk with. She delivered my three daughters at G.W. in the 1950’s the youngest in 1964 who will be celebrating her 50th birthday soon. When I told Dr. M that I had named her Susan, she smiled and said ,”I like that name.” Now I know why. For the past week, I was thinking of her and wondering where or if she was living. Today in the Sunday, I jumped when I saw the name Shirley and knew immediately it was her. My condolences to you Susan and your family. Your mother will live on through those of us who were lucky enough to have known her.
Our heartfelt sympathy to you, Susan, and your family…you were certainly the apple of your parent’s eyes. It was a wonderful privilege to have had her as my ob/gyn, who delivered both of our sons…a kind, gentle, attentive and most understanding of all doctor. Mike had Dr. Howard as his internist. They are both truly missed by us. Enjoy all the happy memories of them.