Jean Howell Gates

Jean Howell Gates, 99, died peacefully at the Cornwall Manor Health Center, April 21, 2019. Born in Wilmington, Delaware on October 2, 1919, she was the daughter of Nathaniel Woodhull and Augusta Dure Howell.
Jean was a 1937 graduate of Tower Hill School in Wilmington and attended Connecticut College for Women. Returning to Wilmington, she was editor of Du Pont’s Spanish magazine, La Revista. It was in Wilmington where she met and later married Robert (Bob) Franklin Gates, then an officer in the Army Air Corps stationed at New Castle, Delaware. As a couple, they lived in Wilmington, DE, Kansas City, MO, Arlington, VA, Ocean City, NJ, Buck Hill Falls, PA and finally at Cornwall Manor, Cornwall, PA. Jean and Bob enjoyed 70 wonderful years of marriage together.
Jean lived life with quiet grace and dignity. Talented, she was both an accomplished pianist and artist. Jean became a skillful painter, primarily in watercolor, and made yearly trips to Maine with a group of fellow painters. She made numerous sketches of scenes during travels for use in paintings afterwards. A charter member of the Ocean City Arts Center, she was later involved with the Buck Hill Falls Art Association and the Pocono Council for The Arts. Jean was active in numerous churches as a Sunday School teacher. She was also civically active as President of the League of Women Voters chapter in Ocean City.
For recreation, Jean enjoyed bike riding on the Ocean City boardwalk and was a passionate reader. In retirement she took up golf, lawn bowling, and cross-country skiing. She enjoyed traveling with her husband including many trips abroad. Interested in her genealogy, for many years she attended annual meetings of the Edward Howell Family Association.
Jean was a devoted wife, and loving mother of four. She leaves behind; son Henry (Jaqueline) of Cambridge, Mass; daughters Virginia (Frank) May of Buck Hill Falls, PA and Elizabeth (Richard) Petrunis of Mays Landing, NJ. Eight Grandchildren include Sandra Cassel, John May, Joshua Gates, Jessica Gates, Erica Gates, Kristopher Gates, Evan Petrunis and John Petrunis and five great-grandchildren Mason and Gina Cassel, Makalya and Mila Gates and Ashley Makovsky. She is predeceased by husband Robert Franklin Gates, eldest son Robert Jr and daughter-in-law Mollie, sister Virginia Speairs, and nephew Lt. Thomas Speairs.
A memorial service will be held at 9:30am Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at the Zerr Chapel on the Cornwall Manor campus, 1 Boyd Street, Cornwall, with Reverends Glen Esler and James Heath officiating. Interment will follow the service at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville.
Jean was among the founding Life Members of the Buck Hill Conservation Foundation. The family requests in lieu of flowers, that contributions be made in her honor to Buck Hill Conservation Foundation.
Arrangements entrusted to Porterfield-Scheid Funeral Directors & Cremation Services, Lebanon, PA. For further information please call 717-272-4634 or to share on line condolences visit www.porterfieldscheidfh.com