Obituary of Steven Allen Howards

 Steven Allen Howards, 73, passed away unexpectedly while on one of his favorite walks with his beloved dog, Luna, on a beautiful spring day in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

He leaves behind his wife, Deborah Andrews, sons Koby and Jonah, his mother Frieda Nankin Howards, sister Marsha Howards Semuels, brother Mark Howards, and many close relatives and friends. Steve is predeceased by his father Irving Howards.

Steve has been characterized by those who knew and loved him as . . .

a unique individual, covering without reservation most human emotions; a steady, joyful presence, like he was always really embracing his life, not just moving through it; full of energy, humor, and that sharp wit that made being around him easy and memorable; kind, often the first person to show up for people, whether family or friend; having an outlandish sense of humor; a true character, a genuine friend.

Born July 14, 1952, in Madison WI, Steve and his family lived in several towns across Illinois before moving to Amherst, MA where he graduated from high school in 1970. Most of his college years were spent at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Milwaukee, where he met lifelong friend Bob Rebholz and had the opportunity to connect with uncles, aunts and cousins. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts back in Amherst in 1974 with a BA in public policy and went on to receive a master’s in urban and regional planning in 1978 from the University of North Carolina.

Steve started his career as a lobbyist at the National Wildlife Federation in Washington DC, where he co-authored a congressional report on acid rain, and by the late 1980s he was appointed executive director of the Denver Metropolitan Air Quality Council by Governor Dick Lamm. This position brought him to Colorado to help combat Denver’s notorious ‘brown cloud’.

In 1990, Steve and Deborah met on a Denver city bus during a spring snowstorm. They were married on September 11, 1993.

In 1990, Steve established the consulting firm Environmental Strategies, and Clean Airport Partnership, a non-profit, in 1996. With Environmental Strategies, he consulted with the US EPA, US DOE and many others on environmental policy. At Clean Airport Partnership, Steve was a trailblazer in advancing environmental reform, planning, and education in airports across the US and world.

In 2004, Steve began a new venture, pivoting to collaborate with his wife Deborah, an architect, to purchase and rehabilitate historic commercial buildings in Old Town Arvada and Englewood. These efforts played a part in revitalizing these communities, which have since become vibrant, thriving parts of the modern Denver Metro area.

Often willing to challenge the status quo, Steve attained his ‘15 minutes of fame’ in 2006, following his wrongful arrest by the Secret Service in retaliation for his objection to then - Vice President Dick Cheney’s handling of the Iraq War. He brought a 1st Amendment freedom of speech complaint against the Secret Service to trial, which was eventually heard before the US Supreme Court in spring of 2012.

Since 2019, Steve had eased into retirement to continue to nurture his sons’ transitions into young adulthood, travel with family and friends, and relax at the shared family beach house on Cape Cod, MA. His Men’s Circle and constantly growing group of friends were sources of great joy and growth for him in his later years. At 70, he took on the humbling but rewarding challenge of beginning violin lessons. His favorite things to do included daily hikes with Luna alone or with friends, one-on-one coffee, breakfast, lunch, or beers with countless best buddies, and, of course, family time.

He will be missed immensely by all who were privileged to know him.

Steve’s Memorial Service (conducted by his Jewish Reconstructionist Community B’nai Havurah) will be held at  Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 West 32nd Avenue, Golden, Colorado on Sunday May 17, 2026 at 3pm.

Livestream video link: https://boxcast.tv/view/howards-memorial-service-sddflis4rxdvibdptm7b

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any of the following: Michael J Fox Parkinsons Research Foundation, The National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, or Swallow Hill Music (Denver).