C. William (Bill) Howland

New Braintree/Holden - C. William (Bill) Howland, 86, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Saturday, August 24, 2024. Born in North Brookfield but raised on the family dairy farm in New Braintree, Bill was the son of the late Harwood and Persis (Tuttle) Howland. He lived 27 years in Holden before moving back to New Braintree in 1989.

He was predeceased by his loving wife of 53 years, Janice Howland. Bill had 4 children, Jeffrey Howland and his wife Brenda of New Braintree; Wendy Langan and her husband Jim of Oak Hill, Virginia; Karen Howland Walker and her husband Tim of Northborough; and Rob Howland and his wife Suzette of New Braintree. He also had 8 wonderful grandchildren - Rachel, Tim, Lindsey, Tyler, Kate, Ryan, Jamison, and Kayli. He missed being a Great Grandfather by 1 day, baby Mason was born August 25, 2024. Bill had 2 siblings, Anna Pond of East Longmeadow, and Mary Howland (who predeceased him in 2014) of Wisconsin. Bill also leaves many nephews and nieces from both sides of the family.

Bill graduated from North Brookfield High School and later from Worcester State Teachers College where he received a master's degree in education. He began his career as a 5th grade Teacher at Dawson School in Holden, but quickly became Vice Principal and then Principal of Rice School in Holden for 30 years where in his words he was very fortunate to have had the "best staff." Toward the end of his career and when they were building the current elementary schools, he became Principal of both Rice Elementary School and Chaffins Elementary School. After his principal days were over, he continued serving as a consultant in the superintendent's office for the Wachusett School district.

After Bill moved back to the farm, he became very involved in the Town of New Braintree. He served on the finance committee for 20 years and as town Selectman for 10+ years. He also served on the Open Space Committee. Having open space and the ability to have a say on your land had always been important to Bill. Along with town politics, he also served as a trustee of the New Braintree Church and the church council. He also dedicated a lot of time to preserving the New Braintree church, donating both his time and money to do renovations and improvements.

His greatest joy and legacy in life was his family and the family farm. Bill spent most of his leisure time working on the farmhouse on the hill or working the land. You could always find him out mowing his endless lawns, cleaning the roadsides, keeping the stonewalls clean, or walking the pastures looking for his "Girls" (Cows). He was also an avid traveler with his wife Janice for 20 years, traveling all over the world with friends to places like South Africa, Holland, Alaska, China, and others.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Bill's family from 4 to 8 pm on Friday, September 20th at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. A memorial service honoring his life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 21st at the New Braintree Congregational Church, 3 Oakham Road, New Braintree. There will be a reception following the service at the New Braintree Town Hall, 20 Memorial Drive, New Braintree.

In lieu of Flowers, memorial donations can be made in Bill's name to New Braintree Congregational Church, 3 Oakham Road, New Braintree, MA 01531, or to the William Howland Educational Account, North Brookfield Savings Bank, 9 Gilbert Street, North Brookfield, MA 01535. The educational fund will be used as a scholarship or funding in the Wachusett School District.

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