Samuel P. Howe

Samuel Purdy Howe III Age 84, of Philadelphia, PA, passed away on September 15, 2022, in the Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. He was the son of Frances (McKittrick) and Samuel P. Howe, Jr. He died from complications associated with an infection of a long-standing hip replacement. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dodi Fordham, and two younger brothers, Ralph Elliot Howe of St. Petersburg, FL, and Francis Robert Carter Howe (Randy Bell) of Milton, DE, and Ralph’s two daughters, Avery, and Clare. Raised in Haverford and across from the Merion Cricket Club, Sam excelled at tennis and squash from a very early age. His brother, Ralph has fond memories of riding bikes and spending many hours together hitting tennis balls at the Club which they both considered their second home. These times together, and an early love of racquet sports created opportunities for Sam to excel in what became his lifetime passion for tennis, squash, and court tennis. His commitment to these sports led to numerous national championships and took him to tournaments throughout Europe, Canada, and the US. Sam’s gentlemanly persona, engaging and bright personality, warmth, and humor earned him the nickname of Sunny which he enjoyed among family and friends. One of Sam’s great joys in life was introducing and sharing his love of tennis and squash with young people. Sam believed strongly that these sports were a wonderful way to teach young people sportsmanship and often lent his talents and enthusiasm for the game to young people throughout Philadelphia. For Sam, the magic of these sports was found in the people he met and the lifelong friendships he enjoyed. A graduate of The Haverford School, and Yale University with a degree in Engineering; Sam began his career at the Link Belt Company. Later he moved into finance. Sam had a long investment advisory career at many firms such as Butcher and Singer, and eventually retired from Wells Fargo Advisors. In lieu of flowers please send contributions in Sam’s memory to Squash Smarts. Their website is Squashsmarts.org. A Memorial Celebration is being planned for later in the fall.