Howard supported my music for many years, attending all of my concerts in NYC, corresponding over email, and was such an amazing arts lover and patron. I enjoyed our numerous email exchanges and in person conversations - from suggesting the best places to get tofu or mangosteen, to talking about his beloved family, he was a true mensch and always made me feel included and supported. He will be missed. I last saw him in person on Feb 2024 at a concert, and am very saddened by his passing. May we all strive to live as full of a life as Howard.

This photo was taken at our reception at The River Café. I remember him dancing, but dunt have a shot of that. He had a great time - as always.

I first met Howard July 1981 as we were both starting our anesthesia residency at Downstate. He was the only one wearing a suit. I was very scared and just wanted to blend in. Howard was the one asking many questions and speaking up and standing out in the crowd. We came to be great friends and I appreciated and envied those qualities in him. He was strongly opinionated and was never afraid to express them even in situations where they might not be viewed favorably. Howard was a very passionate person and brought this passion to so many aspects of his life. Whether it be his love of France, NYC, fine cuisine, the arts, his NY Times, tennis, politics etc etc. He was fully engaged in his life! Over the years we shared so much and went through so many great times and challenging times together. He was such a generous and loving person. When I was going through my darkest times I relied on Howard the most. He’d stay on the phone for hours with me! It’s impossible for me to adequately convey here how much his friendship meant to me over these past 4 decades. Howard was a larger than life personality which makes it particularly hard for me to believe he’s passed on.
 “Eh” (inside joke).
Rest in peace my dear, great friend!!

This was the last of the reunions of our group of SUNY-Downstate Anesthesiology Department alumni, which we tried to make as often as possible. It was the evening of Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at Park Avenue Tavern. Howard was in great spirits and holding forth on topics in his inimitable way. We all had a terrific time - as always. We also got together during professional meetings and to attend his beloved dance performances, and Howard regularly stayed in touch by email and phone to expound on current affairs, but it was intimate get togethers like this that I loved the most. 

When dinner was over, we reluctantly said goodbye and promised to do it again. It's a bittersweet memory because we didn't get to do that! But we'll always remember, love and cherish Howard's unique soul and joie de vivre! 

Rest in peace, dear friend!

In the first picture, Howard was sitting on a bench at the Conservatory Garden in Central Park (Taken in August 2023). Below are two pictures of the Pool, his favorite spot in central park. It was a place he loved to visit, finding peace in its beauty and quiet.

Howard always brought new york times newspaper along whenever he went out. He said that his favorite section in the New York Times was the Book Review. We often solved new york times crossword puzzles together. On the hardest puzzle days, he joked that I might know only one answer because it was a killer! Howard and I both like reading, arts, and music. Sometimes, we liked the same song, and he shared his favorite version with me. One time at The Met, while we were viewing Van Gogh’s artwork, I told Howard I’d like to see the painting named The Potato Eaters. He told me to look up online where it was, and he would take me there but I found out it was in the Netherlands!

Last Christmas
Howard’s winter look was always complete with a cap, scarf, coat, and a tote bag from The Met. Mostly, I gave him caps as gifts, and for Christmas, I gave him one he especially loved. He wore it all winter long.
He always wore a big smile. The last time I visited him in the hospital, Howard listened to us with that same big smile as we talked.

On a Saturday in August 2024, Howard said, “Let’s go to the farmer’s market; it will be fun!” and we did. He picked out heirloom tomatoes, fresh lettuce, basil, mozzarella cheese, and fruits. After that, we went to the bread bakery and bought chocolate babka. He got tired after a while and rested on a bench near the bakery, staying there for an hour. It was a sunny, beautiful day, but we did not know that it would be our last visit together to the market.

Howard celebrated his birthday last year at his apartment. He was trying to put on his birthday gift sweater, laughing as he struggled with it. 
November 14th 2023

This was my dad with Kofi, our neighbor's dog. Even though my dad would not have described himself as "a dog person," he loved spending time with Kofi and making up stories about him. 
1) He said Kofi thought he was the alpha and my dad was the beta in the pack. The reasoning? Whenever my dad would take Kofi for a walk, Kofi would look over his shoulder as if to say, "Are you guys still following?"
2) He liked to project his love of food onto Kofi. He sent me multiple messages about giving Kofi chicken with mayo (one of my dad's favorites) and how Kofi couldn't get enough of it. Even after Kofi's death, he liked to saw how Kofi knew what good food was because Kofi would sometimes get up on the table and chew through plastic bags to get to the heirloom tomatoes.

Dr. Howard Schranz was a longtime fan of my company, WHITE WAVE Dance (WWD), and became a board member in 2018. For the past three years, he served as our Board Chair. In his speeches at our 2023 and 2024 DUMBO Dance Festival Galas, he poured out his love and admiration for the company. He was a generous supporter, not only of WWD but also of other dance organizations, including the Mark Morris Dance Group and many more.

Howard’s love and passion for dance and the arts was immense. In addition to his role as Board Chair, he also assisted me with grant writing, often working right up to the deadline. I’d send him a draft and say, “Please send me your edits in an hour,” and he was always there to help me complete it. He once told me he wanted to be a writer—and he truly was a great one.

Rest in peace, my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Howard. You will be deeply missed.

This picture was taken on October 31, 2023, Halloween Day. It marks exactly one year today. Howard went to CVS to pick up medicine, and that night, we went to the Paul Taylor dancing  show.

Howard, my long-time friend, was such a wonderful person with a kind heart. When I moved to NYC, he helped me explore the city by taking me to museums, Lincoln Center, parks, Coney Island, farmer's market, and Chinatown. He taught me how to take subways and often surprised me with tests on how to get to Central Park West, where I had to recall the exact order of the stations.
I visited him in the hospital with Colette before he left the world. He seemed fine, and I genuinely believed I would see him again. His guidance made my transition to city life much easier, and I will always cherish those memories.
Thank you, Howard, for being such a true friend. 
 You’ll be deeply missed.

I met Howard at in the 1990s at a SOHO bistro that we both patrainized, the late, lamented Le Pescadou. Howard was wearing one of his extensive collection of berets, which he showed me when I visited his apartment [and I thought my 18 berets were a large collection!] I enjoyed our wide ranging conversation, in particular on things Jewish. I enjoyed Howard's erudition, sense of humor, and generosity. Regarding the latter, when I was up at Mt. Sinai for immunotherapy, he would often come and visit and as always, conversation never lagged. Howard was a good man, a mensch, who will be missed, but fondly remembered.

My dad liked to buy these cheaply made toys with lights and music from a vendor at the 51st Street subway station. One year he bought a bunch (maybe 10) of spinning tops that light up with music. He told me they "make great stocking stuffers!" and distributed it to many friends during the holiday season. Even though everyone's first reaction to the top was a bit of surprise that an adult would be drawn into this item, everyone eventually became obsessed with it once they tried it out.

I think those light up spinning toys brought a lot of unexpected fun to the people who received them (and watched them!) that year.

My dad loved this photo. He printed it in color at home, and taped it over one of his prized artworks.

12/31/2023
While I was visiting New York last December, we welcomed the New Year together with joy! Howard even came to my Lunar New Year Celebration concert in February this year, wearing his colorful coat and hat as usual. I didn’t know it would be the last time he’d attend one of my concerts. He looked so happy that day.

Last December, while I was visiting New York for the holidays, we took a day trip to Coney Island and stopped by one of Howard's favorite food spots. It was such a simple, happy moment. I’m so grateful for the time I could spend with Howard whenever I visited New York. Howard wasn’t only a supportive music lover and one of the best audiences; he was a truly wonderful friend.

Since 2018, we shared a friendship filled with cherished moments, celebrating special days together. Howard loved cheering others on, enjoying Paris Baguette bakery, and cooking seasonal fish and fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. I will deeply miss those times. Rest in peace, Howard.

In August 2019, I joined Howard for one of his favorite activities: attending the US Open. It was so much fun, and Howard made sure to capture moments. I’m incredibly grateful to have this memory. Thank you, Howard!

11/18/2018
small event for celebrating the birthday

The morning of the day we took him to the hospital, my dad and I were eating breakfast at the table. He got out of breath walking from his bedroom to the dining room, but he was contentedly eating his breakfast when he asked, "Do you want to go to the Farmer's Market tomorrow?" 

Farmer's Market Saturdays was one of his favorite activities. I'm sad he missed out on some precious weeks of corn this year.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Howard Schranz

14 novembre 1952 – 18 octobre 2024

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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