Jeffrey Allan Howell

Most of you know Jeffrey as the son of John Howell and Judi and Pete Dominguez but what you may have not known about him was his deep love for animals, in particular his Australian Shepherds. Though he was a stated dog person, I don’t think he minded my cats as much as he said he did; or at least not as much as my daughter dressing his two dogs as a Halloween pumpkin and fairy princess or Santa and Mrs. Clause. But that was one of the many great qualities Jeffrey possessed; even if something was not his favorite thing, he was accepting of it because it was important to those he loved.

Jeffrey’s passion for animals began in his childhood and he recognized this same passion in his niece Suzanna. Since we lived practically next door to each other, Suzanna began tagging along with him when he walked Enzo and Morgan at the park. On these walks Jeffrey would answer questions and teach her about different animal characteristics. One day he taught her the orange, black and white tabby watching her from the bushes was a female because only females can be orange, black and white genetically.

Jeffrey was a science person and as fortune would have it, growing up he had his Uncle Paul to spend many hours at the medical school with. There he learned many things his sister has no understanding of, but luckily for her, her brother paid attention and was able to explain the complexities of cancer and chemotherapy to her in simple terms she could understand.

Jeffrey’s passion for animals led brought him down an odd path. Between Freshman and Sophomore year at Colorado State, he spent a year in Alaska with Susan Butcher as an intern. Years later in 1995 he would run the Alaskan Iditerod himself. While at Colorado State, Jeffrey became involved in breeding and showing dogs, in particular his beloved Australian Shepherds. His understanding of all things scientific led him to his second passion, the science of breeding specific dogs to obtain specific characteristics. This second passion led him back to Colorado State where he completed his Bachelor’s degree and Masters in Reproductive Physiology, Biomedical Science.

Most people will remember Jeffrey for his passion for animals, his sense of humor, his endless giving and willingness to help. Those things are personality traits most people possess but what made Jeffrey special to us was that he was a part of our family, he was our son and my brother. Unique in everything he did, he was a part of our family and that is the loss we will forever feel.

Arrangements under the direction of Young's Funeral Home, Tigard, OR.