Jenny Elizabeth Howard

Jenny Elizabeth Howard, 65, of Topeka died Saturday February 25th 2023. She was born November 26th 1957 in Wichita, the youngest daughter of Boyd Wilks Howard and Bonnie Beulah Jackson. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her eldest sister Deidre. Jenny is survived by her son Charles Howard Spaulding and his wife Caroline "Carey" Stone Spaulding of Topeka, older siblings Lisa Howard of Lexington, KY, Boyd "Bud" Howard and his wife Lisa Callahan of Wichita, twin grandsons Alexander Timothy Spaulding and Peter Howard Spaulding of Topeka, niece Kaitlyn Howard and nephew Matthew Howard.

Jenny graduated from Wichita High School East in 1975, then entered the Army in 1978 attending the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA where she learned to speak German and Russian, before being deployed near Landstuhl, Germany. There she met Alan Spaulding and with him gave birth to her son Charles. After her honorable discharge in 1982 Jenny returned to Wichita before moving to Topeka to attend Washburn University where she earned a bachelor's in computer science. She subsequently worked for the Kansas Lottery, Kansas Department of Transportation, and finally for Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services through its name-change to Department for Children and Families, working in various capacities over the decades maintaining systems to track and ensure the welfare of children.

Jenny was a voracious reader, proficient horse-rider, compassionate humanist, inveterate cat-lover, astounding mother, and unparalleled grandmother. She was unshakably calm and fiercely encouraging, philosophically-minded and strong in her opinions on the compassion we should all demonstrate for each other. Jenny was a long-time supporter of the Cat Association of Topeka and American Civil Liberties Union, and of local businesses such as Topeka's Baking Traditions which she enjoyed visiting with her grandsons. She expended unknowable effort raising her son Charles with the help of her mother Bonnie and a series of cats too great to list. She welcomed long-awaited grandchildren Alexander and Peter by retiring early in 2021 to help take care of them, echoing the love and support her own mother had provided her.

A brief memorial gathering will be held in the chapel at Westminster Presbyterian Church 1275 SW Boswell Ave, Topeka, KS 66604, on Saturday March 18th 2023 starting at 1 PM and ending at 3 PM. In lieu of flowers or other considerations, donations to an educational fund for Alexander and Peter Spaulding would be appreciated, made payable to parents Charles and Caroline Spaulding or deposited to a savings account under their names with Core First Bank & Trust.