Ballston Spa, NY-Announcing the passing of Joel R. Howard, Ph.D., November 3, 2022, in Ballston Spa, NY after a four- year battle with cancer. Joel (or "Dr. Howard" or "Dr. Joel" as he was known in professional circles) was born in Granville, NY, and lived outside of Poultney, VT until late 1954 when his parents, Horton K. Howard, DVM and Bernitta E. Howard moved to the Town of Wilton, NY (outside Saratoga Springs) where his father established a private Veterinary practice, and assumed the position as Saratoga Harness, Track Veterinarian.

Joel attended school through 3rd grade in Poultney, VT, 4th through 6th grade in the Wilton school system, then to the Saratoga Springs City School District for Junior and Senior High School, graduating in 1964. After high school Joel began the initial stages of his professional career by attending and graduating (1966) from the (then) New York State Ranger School in Wanakena, NY with a Certificate in the Practice of Forestry. Almost immediately after obtaining a position as a field surveyor with O'Brien & Gere in Syracuse, NY, Joel received his draft notice, and spent the next four years in the U.S. Army as an intelligence specialist part of which was with the 4th Infantry Division based in Pleiku, Vietnam from 1967 to 1969.

Released from active duty in 1970, Joel committed to furthering his education and narrowing his professional direction in the field of Forestry. Achieving the required transfer credits at SUNY Adirondack (1970-1971), Joel enrolled in the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY ESF), Bachelor of Science (BS) study in Resource Management, graduating in 1973. At that juncture it was apparent that Joel had a "knack" for effective teaching, and he set a personal objective of following a circuitous path that would culminate with becoming a college-level professor of Forestry and Forest Ecology.

While working on a Master of Science (MS) degree at SUNY ESF, Joel served as a Teaching Assistant (1973), Instructor (1976-1986) at the ESF main campus in Syracuse. Joel concomitantly served as Director of the College's Summer Program in Field Forestry held at ESF's Pack Demonstration Forest in Warrensburg, NY. In 1978 Joel was given the additional responsibility of Pack Forest Assistant Manager which was in turn elevated to Manager in 1979 where he served until a leave of absence was granted for him to depart for Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) study at North Carolina State University (NC State). In 1986

Dr. Howard completed his Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from NC State, and returned to work at SUNY ESF as a full-time, tenured faculty member teaching Forest Ecology and Directing the Summer Program in Field Forestry until 1997 when he opted to retire from college teaching to pursue work in the discipline of Golf and Sports Management. Many were surprised by this apparent dramatic change in professional direction, however, as Joel explained, the intrinsic difference between managing forests versus managing grasslands is the size of the plants; the rest is all just "basic plant physiology".

As an entry pathway to Turf Management Joel completed a Bachelor of Science Degree at Mississippi State University in 1999, and immediately moved into direct employment in Golf Course Maintenance at the home golf course for the Master's Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club. He had the distinction of contributing to the daily maintenance of the Augusta National Golf Course, and the successful completion of the Master's Tournament during the 1999 season. Subsequently, Joel worked as golf course superintendent in southern California before finding a better "fit" for his background and expertise as Senior Natural Resource Manager on a series of golf courses in Florida seeking high-level "green" certification by following "Gold Standard" design, construction, and Best Management operational practices.

In 2007 when collapse of the U.S. Economy was imminent, Joel chose to move back to the Syracuse, NY area which had been bypassed by the worst of the banking and housing industry volatility. Dr. Howard was extended an invitation to assume a one-year teaching position vacated on very short notice by one of the Ranger School faculty (Wanakena, NY). While fulfilling the Ranger School obligations Joel became aware of an opening for Chief Executive Officer with "Applied Biorefinery Sciences"; a biorefinery startup company forming in upstate New York. For the next nine years Dr. Howard held that position, during which he was principle author on two patents granted through the U.S. Patent and Trade Mark Office, and co-author on three scholarly book chapters addressing the chemistry and economic viability of biorefinery technology using world-wide, forest-grown hardwood species. Joel retired from all active professional responsibilities in 2017.

Joel was an award-winning teacher and excelled at facilitating organizational functions to help assure that things "worked". His leisure activities included golf, shooting, and piloting both fixed and rotary winged aircraft.

There will be no viewing hours, however Joel will be interred in a public ceremony at 1 pm in the Gerald Solomon, Saratoga National Cemetery on December 6, 2022, 200 Duell Rd. Schuylerville, NY 12871.

Arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home., 628 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, contributions in any amount can be made to the  Joel Howard Ranger School Endowment fund  through the GoFundMe link.