Howard would be so happy now, as he has looked forward to this event for the last couple of years.  He dearly missed Iris and could contact her only infrequently through a clairvoyant.

Howard was a couple of months short of his 98th birthday and left his body very peacefully.

It is hard to imagine that it was not until he was in his mid fifties that he first met Sai Baba.  On the first visit to Puttaparthi (Howard had seen Swami previously in Madras) he was motivated to write a book.  His beautiful flowing literary style and incredible memory for events, which only left him in the last few months, made the book one of the most important in Swami's mission - "Man of Miracles".  Many thousands of people first learnt of Sai Baba through that amazing book of which tens of thousands of copies have been sold.

The experiences and closeness that Howard enjoyed when so few westerners travelled to Puttaparthi or had even heard of Swami can only be wondered at with awe by those who have followed him.

Howard went on to write several more books, the latest being published early in 2004, fulfilling an instruction that Siva had given to Howard a few years before.

Howard's life is one that can truly be celebrated as an instrument of the Divine.  I think his only regret in passing was that Swami told him he had to return one more time, whereas Iris has merged with Swami.  The compensation is that Swami assured him that he would assist in the mission of Prema Sai.

Howard would want his crossing of the River Jordan, as he referred to it, to be a real celebration and an occasion that would inspire all of us to become better devotees and to move closer to realise the Divinity within.

Sai Ram