Jan Martin Howell passed into eternity on September 6 , 2018. He entered this world in Mustang Township, Oklahoma on 19 December 1938 as the first son of Earl and Martha Howell, who later gave him three brothers: Wendell, Neil, and Gary.

 Jan served his country for over 38 years at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), Edwards Air Force Base, California. He worked in a variety of important positions, starting in 1960 as a weapons controller in the Space Positioning and Radar Tracking (SPORT) section, providing critical safety guidance to test pilots during the release of weapons and objects of all types over the Edwards Flight Test Range. Jan later worked as a flight test engineer and became a world-renowned expert in evaluating the reliability and maintainability (R&M) of aircraft of all types. His decades of outstanding work in the field of R&M are well documented in numerous AFFTC technical reports and in internationally-recognized technical reports published by NASA, AIAA, and AGARD, among others. Jan’s extensively documented work in the R&M field is still utilized by R&M engineers all over the world. Jan served his last few years at Edwards as the Test Director for support aircraft including airborne tankers and the ARIA aircraft used to provide telemetry coverage for launch and recovery of spacecraft. Jan retired from civil service in 1998, bringing to a close an absolutely outstanding career.

Throughout his career at Edwards AFB, Jan was a charter and lifetime member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and participated and planned many functions of that organization.  He was also a member of the Mensa Society for very high IQ individuals.

 Jan is survived by his loving wife of 31 years Karlene, his children, Tara Hall (Dan), Marty Howell (Jennifer) and Barbara Klingman.  Elizabeth (Marty) De Roos and Normal Howell.

Granddaughters,  Casey, Hayley, Sarah, Mary and Alyssa.  One great grand daughter, Austyn.

Also numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Jan was preceeded in death by his parents, Earl and Martha, Brothers, Wendell, Niel, Gary and son BJ Klingman.

He will be remembered by countless friends, commanders and co-workers from Edwards AFB