Howard Miles

Maurice “Howard” Miles
November 20, 1933 - June 30, 2025

Howard Miles, age 91, died June 30, 2025, in his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is survived by his wife Joan and his children Lowell (Zenise), Lisette, and Leslie, his granddaughter Hannah (Lucas) Robillard, and his great-grandson Cash, all of Albuquerque. He is also survived by his brothers Melvin, John, Bill and Clark Miles and sisters Helen Rasmussen and Carol Vincent. He is preceded in death by his parents Maurice Jarvis “M.J.” Miles and Mary Lyon Miles, brothers Daniel, Doug, and Bob Miles, sister Mary Lindsay, and many other relatives and friends.

Howard was born on November 20, 1933, in St. George, Utah and graduated from Dixie High School and attended Dixie College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah in 1955, served in the Navy as an electronics technician from 1955 to 1957, and returned to the University of Utah where he received his PhD in physics in 1963.

Howard married Joan Hurzeler in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 15, 1960. Lowell was born in 1963 in Salt Lake City; Lisette in 1964 in Urbana, Illinois where Howard completed his postdoc at University of Illinois; and Leslie in 1967 while Howard was a young faculty member at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

Howard taught at Washington State University for 36 years and was also the operator of the WSU’s research reactor and served as the Chairman of WSU’s Reactor Safeguard Committee. When he retired, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Howard was good at all sports and particularly enjoyed running. In his retirement, he was a member of the Master Runners Unlimited Club (the dinosaurs) and participated in many local races and also in the New Mexico Senior Games and the Huntsman World Senior Games held in St. George, Utah. Howard was also an excellent gardener and raised many fruits and vegetables, always sharing with friends and neighbors.

His pleasant sharing nature will be greatly missed.

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