I first came across Howard in 1998 when he and I were on different NHS boards in Gloucestershire. I remember a quiet polite guy, competent with his brief and friendly to a new partner in the health community.

In 2002 Howard was appointed as Director of Finance to the newly created Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust working with me as Chair and the lovely Caroline Fowles as CE among others. This PCT was one of only 5 in the whole country that were only ever rated as the top 3 star category and this achievement was considerably contributed to by Howard’s financial leadership. I really got to know Howard well during this 4 year period. His wry funny comments, gentle directions plus his profound understanding of financial detail and its implications stay with me to this day. This was a glorious happy ambitious team led by good people and I know Howard enjoyed being such an important part of it.

For a while, Howard had to cover as CE for a period of CE ill health including during the consultation to close Winchcombe Community Hospital. I have vivid memories of sitting alongside Howard besuited at a table on the hottest day of 2005 in a stifling village hall while about 300 men in shorts (every one of whom seemed a senior retired businessman who’d spent their working lives making change happened) argued with Howard and me about why it was essential that no change could be allowed to happen to their services. Howard took question after question after question - patiently and professionally listening, presenting facts, rebutting daft assertions and describing the actual choices that were possible. At the end we looked like someone had thrown a bucket of water at us, and Howard commented that he wished someone would. The CE of the NHS once commented to me that had been the best argued and best supported (in the end) community hospital change he’d ever known.

Howard’s integrity shone out of him. I remember a joint meeting of the three early Gloucestershire PCTs where we were sequentially voting on a series of service changes as we made collective decisions. There were probably 18-20 unanimous votes with only one dessention on one vote. Howard felt he couldn’t agree to one compromise decision to maintain a service because the numbers just didn’t add up. Howard was a good compromiser and a cooperative Director but he was never going to cross that line.

After 2006, Howard worked alongside me in the senior team as interim Director of Finance at Gloucestershire PCT before moving on. His signature style was calm and thorough in quite a tough team, and he made a real difference to establishing a financially sound way forward.

Howard and I next crossed professional paths in 2013 when my FT chair role took me into Herefordshire. It was lovely to see him again and share a few stories of survival over coffee.I was very pleased to see him happy in the Wye Valley role, even though I knew it was professionally challenging. 

I really liked Howard and always found him a pleasure to work with. He didn’t mind difficult questions - in fact I think he enjoyed being able to show his depth of understanding of his work. Howard was also great fun with a truly happy quiet presence in a team. Additionally I now know there is no better person on the planet to have in your quiz team.

Rest in peace Howard.