Claire M. Howard

April 28, 1937 - March 2, 2020

Claire M. Howard, 82, of Bethlehem passed away on Monday, March 2, 2020. She was the daughter of the late Christina (Wutka) and Vincent Hutchinson. She was the devoted wife of the late John "Jay" Howard, Jr. A 1955 graduate of Central Catholic High School, she attended St Luke's School of Nursing, receiving her RN in 1958. Claire lived her life with passion and purpose. She was devoted to her family, her faith and her community. A sustaining member of the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley, her membership spanned over 50 years. It was here that she developed her love of volunteerism and went on to donate her time and talent to many non-profits in the Lehigh Valley. In 1969 she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Girls Club of Bethlehem and spent the next 14 years in various leadership positions, including President; Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Region; and Member-at-Large of the national board of directors of Girls Clubs of America. Additional board memberships included Bethlehem Senior Citizens Council; Pennsylvania Homemaker-Health Aide Service, Inc.; United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley; Bethlehem Visiting Nurse Association; Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School Authority; Northampton County Visiting Nurse Association and St Luke's Alumni Association. A devout Catholic, Claire was an active parishioner of St Anne's Catholic Church in Bethlehem where she served as Eucharistic Minister, lector and coordinator of the adult Bible study group. In 1999 she was inducted as a Lady (Dame) of the Holy Sepulchre, Allentown Diocese. A charter member of the Serra Club of Bethlehem, she served two years as President. She ascended steadily through the ranks of the organizational structure, becoming Region 3 District Governor in 1993. In 1994 she was elected the first Regional Representative to the newly formed USA/Canada Council of Serra International. In 2001 she became the first woman president of the USA Council of Serra International, and the first in Serra International's 65 year history. Claire will be lovingly remembered by her sister Helen Hutchinson Reichert Carter (Robert); daughters Mimi Howard of Locust Valley NY and Christina Howard Trexler (Jonathan) of Phoenixville, PA; son John J Howard III of Saratoga Springs NY; brother-in-law Peter Howard of Bethlehem; grandsons Shane Jeavons McConnell and Hugh Howard Trexler of Phoenixville PA; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother Richard V. Hutchinson and sister Joyce Hutchinson Pacific. Visitation will be held Saturday March 14, 2020 from 10-11 a.m. at St Anne Catholic Church, 450 E. Washington Ave. Bethlehem. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. Interment at Holy Saviour Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley, PO Box 282, Bethlehem PA 18016.