At Princeton David majored in biology, joined Cap and Gown, and was president of the Nassoons. His roommates at 16 Hamilton Hall were John Hoffman, Robert Beardsley, James Bradford, and William Ophuls.
David was a naval aviator who served for five years, including time as a pilot of carrier-based aircraft on the USS Saratoga. After earning his Ph.D. from Penn State, he had a distinguished career at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md.
David’s prodigious intellect produced his remarkable wit and astonishing memory. Always a gentleman’s gentleman, with sparkling blue eyes, David pursued a variety of interests, including photography, beekeeping, stone faceting, agronomy, and catching a glimpse of the elusive green flash. He sang at the National Cathedral for 40 years, and his rendition of “Tigertown Blues” with the Nassoons was the finest ever recorded.
He is survived by his beloved companion of more than half a century, Carolyn Davis of Washington, D.C.; and his brother, Lance T. Howell, and his wife, Pat, of Erie, Pa.