Howard Thomas Coffey

Howard was an accomplished physicist, with a career spanning the uses and impact of superconductivity and an early pioneer in the development of magnetic levitation technology in the United States. His work helped shape the field of high-speed transportation, and he was invited to speak about his research nationally and internationally. Over the course of his career, he was awarded multiple patents related to magnetic levitation systems, including innovations in propulsion, stabilization, and high-speed maglev design. He was particularly proud of his patent coining the term “Maglev” that is now used synonymously to reference Magnetic Levitation around the world.

Howard earned a PhD in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1964 and a BA in Physics from King College in 1956. His intellectual curiosity and passion for discovery defined his professional life and left a lasting impact on the scientific community.

Outside of his professional accomplishments, Howard lived with an adventurous spirit and a deep appreciation for life’s experiences. When his children were young, he earned his pilot’s license and loved flying the family on vacation in a four-seat Cessna. He loved surprising his family with spur of the moment trips. He also became a certified scuba diver and spent many years sailing, owning several sailboats over the course of his life. He especially loved captaining a boat and sharing time on the ocean with friends. He also applied his creative talents at home – building a water heating tent system to warm the family’s backyard pool and a shower from lawn hoses and a large keg to hold water, so the girls could get cleaned up when they went camping for long weekends in Santa Cruz, CA.

Howard had a special love for animals and treated his pets as family. He was known for cooking them dinner vs. giving them regular dog food and taking them nearly everywhere he went. In recent years, his constant companion was his beloved 18-year-old dog, Scruffy, who passed away shortly after Howard. The two were regulars at the local dog park, where they gathered with a large group of neighborhood friends for years. While the dogs played, the owners shared wine, conversation, and laughter—something Howard cherished deeply.

He also enjoyed a weekly gathering with another close circle of friends at the Chart House restaurant overlooking the ocean. This group jokingly referred to themselves as members of the “Encinitas Yacht Club”—no yachts and no formal club, just a wonderful group of friends who met every Thursday for cocktails, appetizers, and great conversation.

Howard took great pride in his three daughters: Hannah (Nancy) West of Oregon, her husband Thomas and her stepson Joel; Sandy Mazoway of North Carolina; and Kate Werwie of North Carolina and her husband Dustin Aaron. He was also a proud and loving grandfather to Samantha Mazoway, age 10, and Max Aaron-Werwie, age 9 months.

He is also survived by his brother, David Coffey, and his sister, Evelyn Barrett. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Coffey and Verna Coffey Workman, as well as his beloved brother and best friend, Gene Coffey.

In keeping with Howard’s wishes, his daughter Sandy and close friends took a sailboat out to sea and spread his ashes on the ocean he loved so much.

While he is now at peace with the Lord, Howard will be remembered for his brilliant mind, adventurous spirit, love of the ocean, and the deep affection he had for his family, friends, and pets. His legacy lives on in the people who loved him and in the groundbreaking work he contributed to the world.

In lieu of flowers, Howard requested that memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in honor of their work with his granddaughter and cancer survivor, Samantha.