In the words of his family: 

After Howard retired from a thirty-two year career as an orthopedic surgeon, he began a second as an artist. He was mostly known for his bronze sculptures, almost all of which he created when he was a student at the Glassell Studio School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. There, he did every process himself from design to foundry work. While most of Howard’s pieces were inspired by an idea and a vision, some of his designs were instigated by family events. His sculpture of a man and pregnant woman on a seesaw represented Judy and him in a playground just two months before Michelle’s birth. Lev liked to walk around the table it sat on pointing out to Eric and Joanne, “that’s Nana and Papa.” When brother Zack is a little older, he’ll tell him as well. Howard began his rendering of a woman, arms outstretched to a baby, when Michelle announced she was pregnant and finished it soon after Sia was born. Wanting to draw attention to the books Judy had written, Howard made hands that could hold whichever of her books she was promoting at a signing.  

Howard put so much love into his last two pieces – busts of Sia and Micah. This project was a family affair with Judy, Michelle, and David reading to them and otherwise entertaining them while Howard made molds of their faces. He worked diligently and lovingly to turn them into the best possible images and took them to the foundry before he went into the hospital. They were sent to the children after their beloved Papa died.  

Howard’s work was appreciated beyond his family. It was shown in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Tradition Bank, The Kinder Morgan Professional Building and the Glassell Studio School. It was also featured at The Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco and the Chicago Cultural Center.  

His awards included a first place statewide in a Texas Medical Association exhibit, Director’s Choice in a San Francisco exhibit, Best of Show: 3D Artworks at Glassell and the Cody Award presented by the Retired Physicians Organization.  

Since so many people who saw Howard’s sculptures expressed an interest in buying one, Michelle and Eric urged their father to establish a website to sell them. However, Judy couldn’t bear the thought of any of them leaving their home, so there was a compromise. Pieces for which there were duplicates were donated to charity auctions. At one such event, there was a bidding war for the Hershey Bar.  

Howard’s talents went beyond bronze. He created “Dreams of Judy,” a merry-go-round with each swing on it bearing a clay figure of Judy at a significant stage of her life. Howard did all of the mechanical and electrical work which insured that it went around and lit up. We also have his paintings and even a paper collage self-portrait to admire.  

 Howard’s remarks when he won the Cody Award summed up his feeling about his art: “I am very honored to receive this prestigious award and thank the Cody family for sponsoring it. Of course, I thank my wife who was instrumental in encouraging me to get involved with sculpting. Even now, I frequently use her as a sounding board to get her opinion as to whether new ideas in sculpting would be successful. Most of us who create work in the areas of art, literature, or music or any creative endeavor act out of love for what we’re doing. We don’t anticipate being recognized, so it’s an unexpected and much appreciated experience when we are. I, like many of you, wondered what retirement would bring. How would I feel when I no longer went into my office or into surgery every day? Fortunately for me, sculpting has fulfilled the void I’d feared. Thank you for giving me an award for doing something that brings me such joy.”  

This is dedicated to Sia Naomi Presser, Micah Emet Presser, Lev Alex Finkel, and Zack Ryan Finkel. May they always remember how much their Papa loved them and always enjoy the artistic legacy he left them.