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Obituary (CA): Robert Lynn Howell '52

Posted on 07/23/2018

Robert Lynn Howell  (Feb 26, 1930 – Jul 6, 2018)

Resident of San Jose

Robert Lynn Howell, known to family as "Bob" or "Bobby Lynn" was born in Clinton, MO, on February 26, 1930, and entered into God's glory on July 6, 2018. He is preceded in death by his loving wife Ruth Winona and daughter Margaret "Peggy" Ruth Rainville, and survived by sons Robert Paul, Michael Lynn, James Milton, David Lynn, and daughter Linda Winona Finn, as well as 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Bob graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1952, and served in Korea in the US Air Force. Prior to his discharge in 1960, he trained in missile guidance theory at MIT. In 1965 he and his family relocated to San Jose, where Bob worked for Philco Ford before entering the semiconductor industry. He was a pioneer in data storage and designed and manufactured the Stringy Floppy, an early magnetic tape storage system for the nascent PC industry. In 1974, Bob was instrumental in starting the integrated circuit test equipment company Exatron, now owned and operated by his eldest son Robert. Bob truly loved the industry and spent his later years on the computer still programming for pleasure. Bob will be interred at Oak Hill Memorial Park, next to his wife Ruth. Memorial services will be held Saturday July 28 at 10am at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 300 Curtner Ave, San Jose. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the American Lung Association.

Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on July 25, 2018