Howard Olmstead Child, 81

Howard Olmstead Child passed peacefully into a new morning at home Oct. 29, 2024, after a brief illness.

Born in Meriden, Conn., on July 22, 1943, Howard was the eldest child of Samuel Bradford Child and Lydia Tufts Albree.

He earned degrees from Dartmouth College and Syracuse University.

An enduring belief in civic responsibility and the power of people working together guided his life choices. He worked in public sector management and accounting first for the state of Oregon and then for the University of Washington and SUNY-Buffalo. Later in his working life, he studied computer science, which he applied to point of sale and lift access systems for Booth Creek Ski Holdings.

Since moving to Sandpoint in 2008, he volunteered in various capacities for Friends of the East Bonner County Library, Panida Theater, and KRFY community radio. He served one term as a Westside Fire commissioner. He was also a regular election poll worker.

Howard learned to ski at age 3, and his love for the sport grew ever stronger through life. For more than 50 winters as a certified instructor, he taught alpine and nordic skiing to all who wanted to learn. This career took him to ski areas ranging from Holiday Valley, N.Y., to Crystal Mountain, Wash.; Timberline Lodge, Ore.; Cardrona, New Zealand; Alpine Meadows, Calif.; Mt. Spokane, Wash., and, for the past 16 years, Schweitzer Mountain. Teaching skiing was the work that defined his life and sustained his spirit.

Howard is survived by his wife, Jois; sons Peter (Linda Inglin), Timothy, and Jonathan Child; granddaughter Mackenzie (Ry) Michaud; and great-granddaughter Olena Michaud. He is also survived by siblings Brad (Eileen) Child, Ralph (Eliza Blanchard) Child, and Martha Turley, along with beloved nieces and nephews.