Richard (Dick) Howard

Richard “Dick” Gardner Howard passed away peacefully on January 8, 2026, following a long illness. A Clearwater and Safety Harbor, Florida resident for more than 50 years, Dick, 84, was a beloved member of his family and community.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky on August 10, 1941, to Virgil and Dorothy (née Owens) Howard, Dick was adopted at age 7 by his paternal uncle Henry Clay Howard and Henry’s wife Modie (née Reed) Howard after the death of his birth parents. He was lovingly raised in Ashland, Kentucky by Henry and Modie, and spent his summers on his grandparents’ farm in Salyersville, Kentucky with many of his 20 Reed family cousins.

Dick completed high school at Millersburg Military Institute in 1959, and attended Centre College in Danville, KY before enlisting in the Marine Corps in March 1961. He served two tours in the Vietnam War as a Marine helicopter gunner and was wounded in action, later receiving a Purple Heart for his heroic efforts.

Upon his return from Vietnam, Dick attended Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky before joining the Richmond Police Department in 1968. He remained with the department for four years and rose to the role of assistant chief of police.

In 1972, warm weather and sunny blue skies lured him to move to Clearwater, Florida. That same year he joined the Clearwater Police Department (CPD) as a patrol officer and concluded a 26-year career there when he retired in 1998 as a decorated and highly respected detective in the CPD Criminal Investigations Division. Dick was known as a highly skilled homicide investigator with an extraordinary ability to assemble investigative details and combine them with deep knowledge of violent crime and criminals, and the evidence that convicts them.

During his 30-year law enforcement career, his professional talents were recognized by the FBI, the New York City Police, the Virginia State Police, and the Pinellas and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Offices. He received numerous awards and commendations, including a CPD Meritorious Service Medal and two Letters of Commendation, and the prestigious Knights of Columbus Police Officer of the Year Award. Dick also served in volunteer law enforcement leadership roles including as the elected president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 10, and the elected president of the Florida Homicide Investigators Association.

Dick was also very engaged in his residential community and served as the president of his condominium’s HOA for many years. Neighbors credit him with being a friend to many and always being willing to offer a helping hand.

Despite the serious, sometimes life and death nature of his career, Dick loved to have fun! His outgoing nature and quick wit made him the life of many a party. He enjoyed golf, travel, boating, the ocean, and scuba diving, and photographed the underwater beauty he explored as a talented amateur photographer. And Dick loved anything chocolate!

In 1976, he married Marlene Seymour and stepped into the role of stepfather to her young son Jason. The marriage ended in divorce in 1983, but Dick maintained a friendship with Jason for the remainder of his life. Dick is preceded in death by his birth parents, Virgil and Dorothy Howard, and his adoptive parents Henry Clay and Modie Howard. Survivors include Stephanie Wyers (daughter-in-heart), beloved rescue cats Bonnie and Clyde, and many cousins and friends in Florida and Kentucky.

Semper fi Dick. May you rest well in that Marine Corps Barracks in the sky. Oorah.

A visitation will be held at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, located at 2853 Sunset Point Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759, on January 18, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Following the visitation, a Celebration of Life will take place at the same location from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm.

Dick will be laid to rest with a graveside service at Golden Oaks Memorial Gardens in Ashland, Kentucky with Marine Corps honors, however the service date will be rescheduled in the near future due to the impending storm. Please check back for details.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Dick’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at: https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now. Scroll for a direct link.

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