Obituary for Jan Martin Howell
Jan Martin Howell passed into eternity on September 6 , 2018. He entered
this world in Mustang Township, Oklahoma on 19 December 1938 as the first
son of Earl and Martha Howell, who later gave him three brothers: Wendell,
Neil, and Gary.
Jan served his country for over 38 years at the Air Force Flight Test
Center (AFFTC), Edwards Air Force Base, California. He worked in a variety
of important positions, starting in 1960 as a weapons controller in the
Space Positioning and Radar Tracking (SPORT) section, providing critical
safety guidance to test pilots during the release of weapons and objects of
all types over the Edwards Flight Test Range. Jan later worked as a flight
test engineer and became a world-renowned expert in evaluating the
reliability and maintainability (R&M) of aircraft of all types. His decades
of outstanding work in the field of R&M are well documented in numerous
AFFTC technical reports and in internationally-recognized technical reports
published by NASA, AIAA, and AGARD, among others. Jan’s extensively
documented work in the R&M field is still utilized by R&M engineers all over
the world. Jan served his last few years at Edwards as the Test Director for
support aircraft including airborne tankers and the ARIA aircraft used to
provide telemetry coverage for launch and recovery of spacecraft. Jan
retired from civil service in 1998, bringing to a close an absolutely
outstanding career.
Throughout his career at Edwards AFB, Jan was a charter and lifetime member
of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and participated and planned many
functions of that organization. He was also a member of the Mensa
Society for very high IQ individuals.
Jan is survived by his loving wife of 31 years Karlene, his children, Tara
Hall (Dan), Marty Howell (Jennifer) and Barbara Klingman. Elizabeth
(Marty) De Roos and Normal Howell.
Granddaughters, Casey, Hayley, Sarah, Mary and Alyssa. One great
grand daughter, Austyn.
Also numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Jan was preceeded in death by his parents, Earl and Martha, Brothers,
Wendell, Niel, Gary and son BJ Klingman.
He will be remembered by countless friends, commanders and co-workers from Edwards AFB