| Graduation Year | Class of 1965 |
| Date of Birth | Dec 07, 1947 |
| Date of Passing | Oct 25, 2025 |
| About | Dr. Bonnie Howard Howell (1947–2025) passed away of complications related to a stroke in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 24, 2025, at age 77. She was surrounded by her family. Bonnie was born to Helen Elizabeth (“Betty”) (Ryerson) Howard and Robert Leon Howard Sr. in Ithaca, New York on December 7, 1947. She was a graduate of Charles O. Dickerson High School in Trumansburg, New York. After high school, Bonnie attended George Washington University and then Cornell University. She received a B.S. from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and then a master’s degree in public administration (graduating with distinction) from Cornell University in 1972. Later, Bonnie received a doctorate in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and, more recently, certifications in executive coaching and spiritual counseling. Bonnie lived most of her life in Ithaca, New York, where she raised her two children, Carolyn Elizabeth (Howell) August, Kathryn Helen Howell (McCann), and helped raise her niece, Elaine Marie Howard Ecklund. She later lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, and most recently in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she moved to be near the ocean. As a young adult, Bonnie was an avid Western-style horseback rider, winning the New York State barrel racing championship. She also spent time supporting her father in his campaigns for county sheriff. Bonnie had a love for the water and was involved in water activities throughout most of her life. She started sailing with her grandparents when she was a child and later became an avid water skier and wind surfer. She lived in two different homes on Cayuga Lake, where she spent hours water-running and drinking coffee with the “Ladies of the Lake.” Bonnie’s life was marked by her care for others and her deep sense of spiritual purpose. For most of her working life she served in the field of healthcare administration. Bonnie joined the staff of Tompkins County Hospital in 1965, working part-time during the school year. She later devoted her entire career to improving healthcare. In 1974 Bonnie became assistant administrator and in 1979 she became the administrator of Tompkins County Hospital, one of the youngest hospital administrators in the nation, and one of a small number of women to hold that title. She facilitated the hospital becoming Cayuga Medical Center and served as its president and CEO until 2002. She also served as President of the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). Bonnie started a consulting company, The Howell Group, working as an executive and spiritual coach for the past decade and a half. She taught as an adjunct professor at both Cornell University and New York University and was always ready to help those who wanted more meaning and purpose through their work, especially those devoted to making health care better. Bonnie was preceded in death by her brother (Robert Leon Howard Jr.) and her parents. She is survived by her daughters Carolyn August and Kathryn Howell (Scott McCann), a niece, Elaine Howard Ecklund (Karl Ecklund), a sister-in-law, Fern Vaughn, as well as three grandchildren (Anika Ecklund and Eva and Noah McCann), close friends, extended family, and dear loved ones, all of whom feel her loss profoundly. A celebration of life will be held in May 2026 in Ithaca, New York (date and place to be later announced). Instead of flowers the family requests that donations in honor of Bonnie Howard Howell be made to either the National Brain Tumor Society at braintumor.org or to Friends of Stewart Park |
