Henry Lamar Howell

Henry Lamar Howell died at home on May 17th, 2026, at the age of 88. Born February 11, 1938, in Atlanta, he was the only child of Albert and Caro Howell. As a fifth generation Atlantan, Henry was proud of his family’s role in the city’s rise. He grew up running through the woods of Peachtree Battle and swimming in Peachtree Creek, on the property his family has owned for more than 150 years. These adventures led to a love of nature and commitment to preservation that lasted his lifetime.

Henry was in the first graduating class of Morris Brandon and subsequently the first graduating class of boys at The Westminster Schools, where he made faithful, devoted, and lifelong friends who were with him through all his best and worst days. Some of his happiest childhood moments were spent at the family home in Half Moon Bay on the island of Tortola, where his love for sailing the open seas first began.

Henry attended Yale University, arriving in New Haven by train from Brookwood Station in 1956. His natural curiosity and passion for learning made Yale a perfect fit. After graduating with honors in 1960, he went on to Harvard Business School. While in Cambridge, Henry met Stephanie Dunham, the daughter of his favorite Yale professor, who became his beloved wife of 49 years. With their marriage, Henry joined a family of Yale graduates dating back to 1725 whose lives were dedicated to intellectual pursuits, innovation, and improving the world around them.

Upon his HBS graduation, Henry brought his new bride to Atlanta, where they happily raised their three children, Helen Howell Wray (Chris), Kate Howell Klitenic (Jason), and Evan Huse Howell (Kathryn) and, in due time, eight grandchildren, Caroline Wray, Trip Wray (Elizabeth), Amelia Klitenic, Clark Klitenic, Hazel Klitenic, Margaret Howell, Park Howell and William Howell, all of whom brought him great joy.

Henry spent his career in international banking and private wealth management, where his clients and coworkers saw a gentle, kind, and brilliant man. His unshakeable decency and inherent goodness, insatiable curiosity and unfailing kindness defined everything he did. Of his many talents, Henry’s greatest may have been his ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, from any walk of life, and he was constantly delighted by encounters with friends: old and new, from near and far.

Henry was at once an old-fashioned gentleman and ahead of his time. Biking and jogging were not yet in vogue when Henry took up both in the 1960s. He ran the second Peachtree Road race in 1971 and formed the first local bike club, the Southern Bicycle League of Atlanta. He took part in many cross-state bike rides, developed the popular bike route, Henry Howell’s Hilly Hundred, and participated in over 30 years of Peachtree Road Races.

In 1971, he was a founding member of Friends of the River, created to protect 48 miles of the Chattahoochee from encroaching development. That successful endeavor led to the creation of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area today managed by the National Park Service. Henry spent countless days hiking along the river, mountain biking, canoeing, and taking his children camping in the nearby woods, showing them the majesty of nature.

Henry’s rich intellect kept him reading and learning until the very end of his life. He played an instrumental role in the Atlanta History Center’s creation, combining his love of local history with service and learning. He was an early champion of the Atlanta Beltline and served on the boards of the Atlanta History Center, Trust for Public Land, the Georgia Conservancy, the Buckhead Heritage Society, and multiple others.

A proud patriot, Henry was passionate about the history of our country and served in the Navy Reserves. He hiked the Rocky and Blue Ridge Mountains, chased steam locomotives, crossed the Atlantic many times in the three-masted clipper, Stad Amsterdam, and was a wonderful amateur photographer. He built a darkroom in his basement where he and Stephanie would develop the photographs they took on their many trips across our beautiful country and the wider world.

After Stephanie’s untimely death, over thirteen years ago he had the happy good fortune to find his other great love, Margaret Rains Talmadge, with whom he shared many wonderful years, happy memories, lots of laughter, and adventures. Margaret and her children, Clair Talmadge, Jack Talmadge (Beth), and Elizabeth Talmadge were wonderful additions to his life and family.

He felt the hand of God in the natural world, and he was never happier than when he was spending time in the great outdoors. Henry was an extraordinary son, husband, father, grandfather, and mentor, who led a life of purpose and example. We are, all of us, the better for having had him in our lives, and he will be deeply missed.

Henry’s family is grateful for all those who helped lovingly care for him in recent years as his health failed, especially Regina Cooper, Valerie Montgomery, Bertha Woolfolk, Paul Carisma, Kelly Ebhodaghe, George Mphande, Philip Phiri, and Kudzai Tambanewako.

A memorial service will be held in Atlanta on Tuesday, May 26th at 11 o’clock a.m. at The Cathedral of St. Philip with a reception to follow in Child Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Atlanta History Center or the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy.