Obituary of Martin John Stuart Howley

Martin passed away on November 29, 2024.  He was predeceased by sister Elaine and by parents John Christopher Howley and Elizabeth May (Stell) Howley.  He is survived by his beloved wife Pamela Cline Howley, and by brother Ian Robert Howley and his family.

Martin was blessed with the joy of a loving marriage and wonderful friends.  His life was enriched by a love of the humanities, especially literature, theatre and music, and by his Catholic faith.  After retiring he enjoyed travelling to distant places with Pamela, from Ireland to Vietnam.  He was a diehard enthusiast of cricket and a connoisseur of shaggy dog stories.  

Martin was born January 21 in Cardiff, Wales and spent his early life in the UK in Croydon and in the Bradford area of Yorkshire.  After completing his MA in English literature at the University of Liverpool, he moved to Canada in 1968 to pursue further graduate work at McMaster University.  After receiving his doctorate, he obtained his MLIS degree at the University of Western Ontario.

In 1975 Martin obtained a position at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) as Humanities Librarian with responsibility for collection development in support of ten academic departments and for general humanities. In addition, Martin was responsible for successful grant applications under the SSHRC’s Aid to Specialized Research Collections program, including several major grants in recognition of the national importance of MUN’s Irish studies collection.   He remained in this position until his retirement in 2011

With the advent of Memorial’s Digital Archives Initiative, Martin undertook to make the library’s special collections better known and more accessible, notably The Roger and Marlene Peattie Collection of Victorian Illustrated books; and the library’s collection of publications by Richard Outram and Barbara Howard’s Gauntlet Press.

Since his retirement to St. Catharines , Martin has enjoyed rewarding work as a volunteer at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canal Centre and with the St. Catharines Cathedral St. Vincent de Paul Society.  

The Howley family gratefully acknowledges the kindness and expert care given to Martin by the nurses of St. Elizabeth while he was in home palliative care, especially Darell, Hardik and Ari; and also that of the staff of 2 West, Hotel Dieu Shaver.

Family will receive friends at Garden City Funerals & Cremations, 39 Court St. On Wednesday December 4, 2024 from 2-4PM. A funeral mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria on Thursday December 5, 2024 at 10:30AM. Cremation and rite of committal will take place at a later date.