Richard Moutlon Howland 1940-2019

Attorney Richard "Dick " Moulton Howland, 79 years, of Amherst died peacefully November 7, 2019, at the Holyoke Medical Center after a lengthy illness. A graduate of Deerfield Academy, Amherst College, and Columbia School of Law, Dick served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, as had his father before him. He was an Ensign aboard the USS DeHaven DD-727 from 1962-63. When he returned, he was a founding member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

He leaves behind his partner Marjorie Levenson, his brother Dr. John Howland, daughters Gillian Vanesse, and Kimberly Nelson, their spouses, four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Ann Howland, his parents Richard Howland and Natalie Merrill and his stepfather William Merrill. His mother was a librarian at Amherst College and his stepfather was the director of the Town of Amherst's Jones Library. Dick was a direct descendant of John Howland, an original Plymouth Colony settler who sailed on the Mayflower and signed the Mayflower Compact.

Dick's first and formative legal position was with Leonard Boudin, renowned civil liberties activist. He left Boudin's firm to serve as the first Director of the newly established Student Legal Services Office (SLSO) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. In that role, he ensured that students had an expanded role in campus governance.

Dick's time at SLSO was conducted amidst the turbulence of campus protests against the Vietnam War and later, campus activism in support of the United Farm Workers' grape and lettuce boycotts. Dick represented students tirelessly and acted as observer at anti-war protests and accompanied members of the student government to the 1971 May Day March on Washington. Additionally, Dick was sensitive to the emerging counterculture presence on campus and supported student efforts in creating Room To Move, a program that offered a safe space for students with questions and issues related to substance use.

Dick left SLSO to establish a private practice with a specialty in real estate. He lived for a number of years in Leverett but eventually returned to Amherst.

Dick enjoyed music. At Amherst College he played saxophone and clarinet in a Dixieland jazz band. Whenever he moved, his piano moved with him.

Dick was a gentle man with a commanding voice. A well-known personality in Amherst, in later years he could be identified by his daily downtown walks and his willingness to engage in conversation. A firm believer in giving back to the local community, Dick was a youth soccer referee who out of pocket generously provided uniforms for players in need. He was a mentor to attorneys facing personal crises, president of the then newly formed Leverett Arts Cooperative, Leverett Town Moderator, election worker at the UMass student polling place, and a member of the Amherst Planning Board. He was also president of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce for a decade.

Lt. John P. Burlew remembers