Richard John Howlett 1932 – 2008

March 15th, 2009 by JCB
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Born on the 23^rd September 1932 in Wandsworth, London, Richard Howlett was educated at Kings College Wimbledon, joining the HMS Worcester in 1947 prior to going to sea with the Royal Mail Line in 1949. He rose to 2^nd Mate by 1959 when he decided to get more River Thames experience so he joined the famous LCC sludge vessels for 2 years and then the Trinity House Pilot vessels until he was accepted as a Trinity House Cinque Ports Pilot in 1964.

Richard was a Rotarian, a devout Christian and a valued member of our Pilots Committees being brilliant at all forms of statistical analysis so necessary in the 1980′s pilotage political scene. In 1988 Richard became a Port of London Authority Pilot beginning a new and immensely happy life when he met Joyce whom he married in 1990. Unfortunately a few years later Richard had to have a hip replacement, then found he could no longer manages a 9metre pilot ladder and had to retire early.

Sadly, it was the beginning of a series of illnesses that Richard coped with in his usual inimitably cheerful way, one complaint followed another but he was always found laughing and joking, even managing to visit his son and family in South Africa until finally with his body weak from years of ill health he was diagnosed with liver cancer and died on the 28^th June 2008.

Richard leaves his wife Joyce, his son Jonathan and daughter in law Caroline, his grandchildren Samantha, Natalie and Vincent and his daughter Sarah, together with four step grandchildren. He will not be forgotten.

John Godden ; Cinque Ports and Port of London Pilot (retired)