Howard Windsor McCay III, mathematician, linguist, father, grandfather, proud Longshoreman, member of ILWU Local 52. Longtime Central Area resident and community activist passed away
peacefully at home on February 10th with his family by his side.
Howard was born in Miami, Florida on January 31, 1945 to Howard & Diane Irwin McCay. He attended Miami Senior High School and graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. There he met Chu-Lan Chiong and followed her back to Seattle where they married in 1971. They had two sons, Aaron and Adam.
He attended UW graduate School in biochemistry but quit over disagreement about treatment of laboratory animals. Later, Howard became a computer programmer for Metro.
After many years in the computer field and other work Howard became a longshoreman upon the recommendation of a neighbor. He loved the job because there was seldom a truck driver he could not talk with in their own native language. If he found one Howard was sure to study that language.
He loved his house in Seattle’s Central Area with the trees he planted and protected for over 50 years. He was at one time a working member of Community Produce, a food distribution cooperative which was located under the old Alaska viaduct. He was also a founding member of Central Co-op, where when asked for his member number he would proudly hold up five fingers.
His love of languages began in Miami where many of his friends were Spanish speakers.
Howard was a neighborhood activist and founding member of the Squire Park Community Council. He volunteered to teach math at Summit K-12 Alternative school in Seattle.
He was a longtime tai chi student of T.Y. Pang and taught some classes himself.He was a board member of the Japanese Congregational Church and deeply involved in activities there.
He is survived by his sons and two granddaughters, Annabelle an
d Eleanor McCay.
