Brian Daniel Howe, 28, of Portland, Maine, died suddenly on Aug. 8, 2017, after collapsing during a routine early-morning jog not far from his home. An autopsy revealed a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

He was close to finishing a one-year term as a law clerk under Judge D. Brock Hornby in U.S. District Court in Portland, and had accepted a position at the New York City law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell.

Born in Syracuse, N.Y., he was the son of James P. Howe and Karen K. Heitzman, MD, of Manlius, N.Y. In 2006, he graduated near the top of his class from Fayetteville-Manlius High School, where he was a member of the cross-country and track teams and participated in the model United Nations.

In 2010, he graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where he studied the Classics and linguistics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and studied abroad in Auckland, New Zealand, and Berlin.

Mr. Howe received his doctor of law degree cum laude in 2015 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he was an editor of the law review and received an award for outstanding scholarly contribution to that journal. He was admitted to the New York bar in 2016.
He previously worked for the law firms of Kirkland & Ellis in New York City and Hughes, Hubbard & Reed in New York City and Paris; he also served as a judicial intern for Judge David Hurd in U.S. District Court in Utica.

Mr. Howe’s interests included playing the cello in the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra and the All-State Orchestra as well as first chair in his high school and college orchestras. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout after several years in the Boy Scouts.

In college, he volunteered for various nonprofit groups and causes, including projects with high school students and relief work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans while in college, and free legal aid while in law school. He held a firm belief and hope in the American legal system as a source for good and a safeguard of democracy.

He loved his dogs and the outdoors, was a fan of professional tennis, spoke or read five foreign languages and is remembered as a devoted friend and colleague with a keen intellect, a strong work ethic and a ready sense of humor.

He is survived by his parents, of Manlius; his sister, Kathleen L. Howe, MD, of Atlanta; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Calling hours will be 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, with a brief service to follow, at the Eaton-Tubbs Fayetteville Chapel, 7191 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his name be made to the American Civil Liberties Union or Planned Parenthood.

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