Howard Earl Smith passed away on February 27, 2026. Born on May 14, 1942 to Howard and Thelma in North Carolina, he traveled the world and eventually settled down in Jessup, Maryland with his loving and devoted partner Cindy of over 47 years. Howard served with distinction on the front lines of the Cold War for 35 years as a Russian linguist with the U.S. Airforce and the National Security Agency. He is survived by his wife Cindy, his many cousins, his sons Todd (wife Enza) and Jon (wife Chessa), as well as his grandson Jake (wife Izzy). He is dearly missed and remembered especially for his generosity and constant loving, yet undemanding support. To honor of his wishes, there will be no organized memorial services and in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) at https://pancan.org/.
