Club Obi Wan

Not being sure where to post this but I am sorry to have to report the death of a fellow collegue and friend Noel Howard who many of you have met or had dealings with.
He was on location in Libya and was found in bed in a coma and later died peacefully in his sleep in hospital in Libya on Saturday. He is being flown back to the UK this week.
If this information can be forwarded to any other relevant link or party I would be much obliged.
Best Regards
Peter

That is quite shocking news - thankyou for posting it. Thoughts at such a time are with family and friends.

WOW terrible news

He will be greatly missed, such a friendly man! I wished there where more people like him.

MY HEART JUST SANK My condolences to his family and friends.

The guy was a true gent in our dealings, and I just can't believe that he's gone... The 'gear' community has lost an irreplaceable asset, and more importantly, friend.

Yes my condolences to friends family and also to you Peter in losing a friend and colleague.

I´m really in shock right now. This is terrible news.
My condolences to his family.

My condolences to his family.

I talked with him several years ago when he was thinking about offering gear items again to our community, I recall that he was very courteous and seemed like a real professional.

Rest in peace.

Best wishes to him, his family and friends. He'll be missed.

- John

rest in peace...

I am shocked...

Eric

As with everyone else, I am stunned. Sad news indeed and my most sincere condolences.

WHAT?!?!

No way...that's awful news. God...I spoke with Noel 6 or 7 times on the phone and a lot of us used to get Christmas cards from him.

I'm so bummed out by this news. He was a great guy with some really great stories.

Could this news get featured on the main page? He was the closest source for shirts and pants and his work was exemplary.

So many new to the hobby lust after his work that it speaks volumes as to what he'd done for this community.

Stunned is not a strong enough word, Peter.

I made this an 'announcement' so it will not be missed.

Thank you for telling us my friend.

I'm literally speechless.

Michaelson

My heart sank when I saw this thread. This really is very sad news.

I'll never forget meeting Noel at MBA Costumes. He was charming, patient and extremely generous with his time, treating me like a welcome guest, even though I was just a fan buying a couple of old bags with leather straps.

A true gentleman.

My condolences go to his friends and family.

I am just speechless.

Noel was such a true gentleman, and was so accommodating, helpful and generous with his time.

Oddly the image I have stuck in my head now is him holding my Fed Dlx over the kettle in his kitchen and smiling.

I hope Angelseyth doesn't mind me posting this:

I have no words. I'm just really sad.

It's not often at all we lose one of our own, and Noel was just that. He wasn't on the boards but he had complete respect for all of us and through his business and skill, gave us many years of pleasure with his products and his presense.

From what I've ever known of him, Noel was a complete gentleman. I spoke to him on the phone a few times several years ago and he was willing to spend as much time on the phone with me answering any and all questions I had about his products and involvement with the films. He allowed many fans to come into his shop and would not hesitate to bring out his original Indiana Jones costume pieces, letting many try them on. How many collectors today would allow anyone to even touch these items? Noel was happy to share them with those he knew it meant a lot to.

I last had coorespondence with him when he came back from his hiatus and began to make Indy gear again. I mailed him to make him aware of inaccuracies in his shirts which could easily be fixed. Instead of getting an attitude with me about it or ignoring me, he asked me to help him impliment the changes to make the shirts better, which he did. This is the Noel Howard I knew. He really cared about his customers and respected our overzealous attention to detail which would drive many others crazy. Noel was always happy to oblige.

We've lost an integral part of our community. He will be missed.

He already is.

Im stunned. He will be missed greatly.

Rest in Peace, NH

-Robby

What a shock - since the early days he was always the original gear supplier that all others have been compared to. This is a true loss to this community - my prayers are with his family...

Very sad news indeed. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends through the rough times.

Condolences,
Dennis

Oh my goodness. This is absolutely shocking news. I spoke with Noel a few times and, as everyone else has said, he was always a very nice, professional, and helpful man. He will be terribly missed.

I don't know what I can say other than that I'm so very sad to hear this and I'm thinking of his family.

Noel was a true gentleman and will be dearly missed.

I didn't know Noel personaly. When I ordered pants, shirt, and jacket from Berman,s and Nathen's in 1985, I dealt with a gentleman by the name of Fred Braizer. We have a rather small community with Indygear. When one of us falls asleep in death, I takes a piece out of all of us. And Peter, thanks for the quick heads up. This is not something one wants to read about in the back section of the London Times. All sympathy to Mr. Howard's family. He will be missed.

OMG... this is just heartbreaking news. My thoughts as well to his family and friends.

Godspeed Noel...

Wow... terrible news, and terribly unexpected. We've lost somebody very important to the hobby. I've never dealt with him, but I know how he's contributed, and I know he'll be missed by many, many gearheads.

Rest well, Noel.

Shane

This is such sad news and a terrible loss. I had never delt with him but I know those who did held him in the highest regards. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.


I.C.

The measure of a man isn't just in his accomplishments, his successes and failures. The measure of a man is also in the size of the whole he leaves when he leaves this world for the next.

For us and this hobby, that hole is immense.

Could someone please post a link, if there is one, that has all of his accomplishments, list of movies where his other work can be found? I think his bio would be appropriate.

i must say that my heart sank when i read this post. i have ordered many things from noel and he was so nice and pleasant during every correspondence. he went out of his way a couple times for me....eventhough he knew that it was my honour to do business with him. it was my dream to visit him at his shop during a UK tour.

he was one of the best vendors i had the pleasure of dealing with and an icon to the community here. i will mourn his passing.

my deepest condolences to his friends and family. mr. howard, i will miss you.


gil

Wow. Just ... wow. He's in a better place, but we'll miss him here.

wow! I saw the title but just couldn't believe it! I never met Noel, but dealt with him to buy gear, and always thought that he was, indeed, truly in a class reserved for the highest quality of people.

Since becoming a GearHead, I have always been so impressed by vendors who have expensive film contracts and yet still take the time and effort to deal with "the little guy" and Noel always had time for 'us'.

It is a day of mourning for this community.

Following the image posted above, would this be an appropriate place for those who have met him and have such pictures, to post them?

Africa

i'm going to log off today to give mr. howard a moment of silence from the indy g house. i truly respected the man and indygear will never be the same without him. god bless you noel.

I was deeply saddened to hear this news and that I left it too late to see you.

Mr Howard I hope that you knew how much we appreciated your continued support of our hobby over the years and how so many of us wear your gear all around the world. I for one was proud to be wearing one of your gunbelt buckles today.

I have just read this post and I am absolutely devastated.

I have logged on after packing my suitcase for the Finger Lakes summit and about an hour ago, which included my Noel Howard pants and shirt which I bought from him about 18 months ago.

I was planning on visiting him in London, buying a bag strap for my Mkvii and would have loved to spent some time with him discussing gear.

Moments like these make us realise that life is truly special and that we should hang onto it as much as possible.

Noel was a pivital part of our community and he will be greatly missed.

I never spoke to Mr. Howard myself, but for Christmas of '99, and of 2000, my Mom ordered a bunch of gear from him. She said she couldn't believe how gracious he was, he kept working and calling back when a problem with a credit card came up, until it was resolved.

Just two weeks ago I found the packaging that those items came in. Being the sentimental fool I am, I couldn't throw them out. I'm very glad I didn't.

Thank you Noel, the gear items I got from you I'll treasure always.

What very, very sad news.

What a terrible shame.... it goes without saying that his family is in my thoughts and prayers.

Please extend my condolences to Noel Howard's family and friends.
I never had the pleasure to speak to him in person but I have enjoyed his work over and over again.

-K

Terrible news. I dealt with Noel on my first "offical" piece of gear which was my MKVii. He was very pleasant to deal with and I hate to hear of his death. My condolences to his family and friends.

A great man to our community has been lost. He will sorely be missed. Rest in Peace Mr. Howard.
High Regards,
Joe

Peter, thank you for letting us know about this. I can't express my sadness as well as others, but Noel - at least to me, will always be the "top man" of Indy geardom. I met him at MBA once and shared many, many rewarding phone conversations and emails with him. He was a gentleman through and through and my life is richer for having known him.

Chris

Times like this make us take notice of what this community is truly about, and that discussion with good friends and acquaintances should always be left on a positive note. I have only ever seen a few of Noel's offerings in person, and only dreamed of owning anything from him, but it is a big loss to this community, especially since he had been here from the beginning. God speed, Noel.

Very sad news. R.I.P. Noel, and my heart goes out to his friends & family.

It's a big loss indeed.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Regards,
Lars

Noel Howard was a true scholar and a gentleman, although I only spoke to him twice by phone. At least he went pecefully. Noel will always be fondly cherished for his contribution to our community, and remembered for his historic place in movie history. God rest his soul. Thank you for notifying us, Peter. You did well by him.

Shocking news indeed. And in the last few weeks I was thinking of ordering another set of pants. Alas, that won't happen NOW. My best to the family. RIP Noel.

Sad news indeed. I'm stunned. Our thought & condolences go out to his friends & family.

Cheers!

Dan

Wow, I am simply speechless. As eveyone else has said, this is just shocking and very tragic news. Noel was an amazing soul, and so dedicated to his craft. He will be sorely missed. Peter, thank you for letting us know.

-Craig

What a great loss to this community and to all who knew him. Rest well, Mr. Howard.

I'm totally Godsmacked... Sad to hear the news. I dealt with Noel twice in the past. And I loved it when he send a christmascard every year. He will be sadly missed. Rest in peace, old friend. I will miss you...