Howard Whitfield Poxon

Howard W. Poxon, known as Howie to his classmates, passed away on October 16, 2021 as a result of prostate cancer.

Born February 19, 1936 in Brooklyn New York the family relocated to Ramsey New Jersey in 1946. However Howie return to Brooklyn when he joined a Reserve submarine unit at the then Brooklyn Navy Yard.

While undergoing boot camp at New London he was asked if he would like to earn $40 one Friday evening working the deep sink at the Officer’s Club, a lot of money for a Seaman. Seeing how the other side lived convinced Howie he was on the wrong side of the ledger and set his sights on the Naval Academy. He succeed in obtaining an appointment to the class of 1959 and joined the 20th Company of the Brigade of Midshipmen.

Back then the mode of operation seemed to be to allow the 1st Class, in this case 1955, to challenge the Navy selection organization choice of candidates. Under the eye of “Jones & Schulz” Howie and 2 other classmates became special projects. Thanks to them Howie spent almost every Wednesday and every Saturday on the ED squad on the back terrace. Only Howie survived “Jones & Schultz” special attention in spite of missing the ability to study during those periods. He was told by his Company Officer he achieved the status of accumulating the most demerits of any plebe and surviving. For the remainder of his time at the “Paddle Factory” he had only 1 epoxides with the ED squad his 2nd class year when he returned late, after muster, from a Baltimore football game.

Howie failed his pre-commissioning physical. He was offered three choices: 1. Walk free with no obligation, 2. Attend two more year of college at Rensselaer Polytech, an all-male college in the mountains of New York 3. Attend 1 year of additional school at Naval Supply Corps, next door to the University of Georgia where there were a bountiful crop of coeds along with an O’Club even if the county was dry. Having survived “Jones &Shultz” number 1 was out, as for number 2, I had just done 4 years of college so it was on to number 3.

Howie left Supply Corps School before formal graduation to join the USS Somers, a new Destroyer out of San Diego making ready for its first Pacific deployment and caught up with Bob Larkin 2nd Company who was in the engineering staff.

Captain Summer’s welcomed me aboard, turned to XO and told him to put me on the deck watch crew. At that point I reminded the Captain that as a staff officer I wasn’t eligible for command to which the Captain replied “any naval academy graduate on my ship stands deck watch, oh, put him on the GQ deck watch as well”. I did sort of get a bit of revenge while at sea one day when the quarter master read the orders of the day announced “Pay Day for the officers in the ward room” there I was on deck watch. Very shortly the call came up from the ward room asking if anyone had seem me. The OD took the call and handed the phone to me, the deck crew were all smirking or giggling by then. I replied I was on deck watch, Captain’s orders. Very shortly a relief showed up for me. The XO called me aside next day and told me the Captain was not amused by the incident and I could think about on board at the next liberty port.

The ship was assigned the duty of representing the US at a series of Celebrations in Australia. While in Tasmania I meet a lass who was later to become my wife. Bob met a gal in I believe in Melbourne he later married as well.

While on Shore duty in Norfolk Naval Systems Support Active Howard earned an MS in Computer Science from George Washington.

Both of us upon leaving the Navy returned to Australia where I built my home in Frankston, Victoria.

After 17 years working in Australia, 15 with GM Holden, the family returned to Detroit to work directly for GM/EDS eventual retiring from EDS. He tried to return to Australia every other year for 3 months and made a point of touching base with Bob, 2nd Company and Evonne Larkin.

He leaves behind his loving wife of 57 years Annette, daughter Amanda, a Director at Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield, son, Howard Andrew, a senior captain with Spirit Airlines, daughter in law Karri, two grand-daughters Annabelle and Emerson, 2 brothers Walter and Bill Poxon, a sister Lois Terrace and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Howard was a wine aficionado and also a connoisseur of both beer and scotch. He enjoyed Tennis and was long time member of the Troy Racquet Club. He was a big animal lover and loved to travel, especially to Australia which he considered his second home.

Howard lived this life trying to follow his motto “Live life to the fullest” to the maximum.

Memorial contributions suggested to the American Cancer Society or the Michigan Humane Society.