My name is Murray Howe. My family elected me to speak today because I was the underachiever of the family. I’m not Mr Hockey. I didn’t letter in high-school football, baseball, track, wrestling, and play hockey all in the same year (Marty). I didn’t play for the Olympic hockey team when I was 16 and have Mark Howe day at my school. I can’t barrel race on a horse, and I don’t own a 4,000 acre ranch on a mountain top in Montana (Cathy). I just read xrays; that’s all I do. But I would like to think I was elected because I was my mom’s favorite son. That’s why I got beat up all the time. I was also elected because I like to talk a lot, just like my mom.

When I was about 7 my mom told me that if she and my dad died, that I would go live with the Aunt Edna and Uncle Bill Gadsby and their 4 girls. So I told Aunt Edna, if it’s OK with you, if my parents die, I’ll just go live in an orphanage. So I’m glad my dad is still alive so I don’t have to move to that orphanage.
Anyway, the Howe family would like to thank all of you for your tremendous outpouring of love and support. There may be an economic recession, but let me tell you there is no shortage of love in this town today.

Mom’s life was the definition of love. She completely devoted herself to her husband, her family, her friends, and to every person she met. She taught each of us how to reach out to others, and not judge them, but just love them.

When I was about 8, I was taunted each day by the neighborhood bully, who liked to throw basketballs or baseballs or rocks at me as I rode by his house on the way to the drugstore, which had the candy every kid needed to survive in those days. My brothers suggested I hit him really hard with a hockey stick, but my mom said “Let’s invite him to your birthday party.” I was sure she had lost her mind, and that all my other party guests would be terrified and go home. As it turned out, he was the first to arrive, the last to leave, and he acted like the happiest kid on the planet for the entire party. It was probably the first time anyone had ever invited him to anything. He was my friend from then on. Love your enemies!

One of our neighbors had a cat who died. So mom drove out that day and bought a kitten, placed it in a box, and instructed us to place it on their porch, ring the doorbell, and run. It was love at first site, and the family never found out where this little bundle of joy came from (until today!) Raise your hand if you received a kitten in a box.

If you met Colleen Howe, you were immediately her friend. She would find out what you needed, and then get it for you. She loved secretly paying for dinner of random strangers whenever we would go out to eat. She would just tell the waiter to take care of their bill, and she loved to watch the family’s expressions when the waiter would tell them someone just paid for their meal.

Her middle name was “why not?” Why not run for congress to fix the country? Why not put your house up as collateral to build the first hockey rink in Detroit? Why not create the first junior hockey team in the United states? Hey Gord, why not come out of retirement at the age of 45 so you can play on the same team as your sons?  I’ll be the first female to sports agent ever. I’ll represent you! Why not surprise our friends with a trip to Hawaii for their 25th anniversary! And we’ll go with them! Why not? Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

The Osmond brothers came to Detroit years ago, and my sister Cathy was in love with Donny. This was before she met Bob. After the concert, their limosine sped away before we could get their autograph. So my mom said “Gord, why not go to their hotel and go meet them?” So, we met the Osmond brothers in their pajamas at the Ponchatrain hotel. Cathy will never forget that.

My good friend Jesus once said “In order to get to heaven, only 2 things are necessary.
1. Love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Mom truly loved the lord and all His creation. No one loved life more than her.
2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Mom loved herself a lot, which is a good thing, and she loved every person she met as she loved herself.

I have no doubt that mom is alive and with us right now, savoring the love we are sharing in this room, and she is waiting for us to step out of these doors and love each other with everything we have. 

Thank you mom, for teaching us all how to love. 

---Dr. Murray A. Howe---