Montpelier, VT Virginia Houston Kimball Howard, a longtime resident of Montpelier, died peacefully at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vermont on Saturday, February 24, 2018. She was born on November 1, 1919 in Saint Albans, Vermont to Col. Ray Carlton Kimball and Cora Mae Houston Kimball. She graduated from Swanton High School in 1937, and continued her education at Green Mountain College and the University of Vermont. She moved to Northfield, Vermont, her mothers home town, during the early 1940s where her father was recruited to teach students headed into the Second World War at Norwich University. While in Northfield, she began a long career in public service, first with the Selective Service and then with the State of Vermont working for over 30 years in the Vital Records Division for the Secretary of State. In 1945 she met and married Joseph Jeffrey Howard of Montpelier. She is survived by their three children, Jeffrey Kimball Howard (Pamela) of Montpelier, Bruce Ray Howard (Sharon) of Rutland, and Jeanne Howard Kennedy (Patrick) of South Burlington. She is also survived by grandchildren Janet Tillou, Jonathan Howard, Courtney Dubuc, Meg Howard, Drew Howard, Ashley Kennedy and Ben Kennedy, as well as great-grandchildren Evan and Madison Tillou, Grady and Matthew Howard and Genevieve Dubuc. Her work in the Vital Records department made her an excellent genealogist and she assisted countless individuals trace their ancestry. She was a lifetime member of the Vermont Society of Mayflower Descendants and was proud of her 11 lines back to the Mayflower. She enrolled her children and grandchildren as life members in the Vermont Society of Mayflower Descendants. At the time of her death she was still tracing an additional line back to the Mayflower. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband of 67 years, sisters Barbara Farnham and Dorothy Lantz and a granddaughter J. Leigh Howard. She is survived by a sister Betina (Betty) Start. The family would like to thank the staff and volunteers at the McClure Miller Vermont Respite House in Colchester where she received compassionate care. The family would like to especially thank Shirley Nolan and Pamela Fontaine for their comfort and assistance while residing at her home in Montpelier. They would also like to acknowledge her primary care physician Dr. Lise S. Kowalski and the staff of the University of Vermont Medical Center. At her request there will be a private service at Riverside Cemetery in Swanton in the spring. Donations may be made to McClure Miller VNA Respite House, 1110 Prim Road, Colchester, Vermont 05446 or The Vermont Society of Mayflower Descendants, Seth Hopkins, Treasurer, 52 Park Street, Brandon, Vermont 05733.