Donna Engler Howard, 67

Donna Engler Howard was born on January 11, 1958, in Austin, TX and died on April 18, 2025, in Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT, at age 67, after a courageous ten-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Donna Howard

Donna was raised by her parents Franklyn Raymond and Bessie Wynn Engler in Corpus Christi, Texas and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Donna was a good student and from an early stage was attracted to the arts, she played piano, was a keen dancer, and played violin in the school orchestra. She graduated from Bethel Park High School in 1976, where she was a member of the drill team, the Bethettes.

Donna then moved back to her beloved Longhorn State and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She graduated with an Art History Bachelor’s degree, with a minor in business, in 1980, and was a proud member of the Iota Alpha Chapter of Chi Omega. Afterwards, she pursued a master’s degree in interior design from the University of North Texas and later worked in Dallas for Wilson & Associates, a leading global interior design firm. Donna quickly took on major projects for Four Seasons Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels and Marriott Hotel Group. In 1986 she won the U.S. Hotel Interior Design of the Year Award for her work on the Omni Hotel in Charleston. It was in Dallas where she met and married Nicholas Phillip Howard on May 2, 1986, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

Shortly after they were married, Donna and Nick then moved to work in London in 1987 and then they moved to New York City later that year. Donna used her work experience and started her own business in interior design. Throughout her career, she won several design awards and helped create beautiful interiors in hotels and homes across the world from New York City, London, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Las Colinas Dallas, Hawaii, Boston, Hilton Head, Denver and New Canaan. Donna also obtained her real estate license and practiced in New Canaan.

Following the birth of her children in 1993 and 1995, Donna and Nick moved to Roxbury, CT and later New Canaan, CT, where they have lived ever since on West Road, excluding a two-year gap spent in Japan in 2000-2002. Donna was an active member of her community from leading Girl Scout Troop 484, being the president of National Charity League, and participating in the Garden Club, specifically with the Friends of Irwin Park.

Donna had a lot of hobbies from walking her labradors, playing tennis and pickleball at local clubs, and playing bridge and Mah Jong with her friends. Donna was an avid reader and a very good cook and developed a significant cookbook collection. She also loved football and proudly supported the SMU Mustangs and Texas Longhorns, traveling to games most years. Most importantly, Donna loved her family and took a step back from her career to focus on raising her four children. She spent countless hours taking them to their activities and sports lessons and was their biggest cheerleader. She also supported Nick’s business activities and the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Memorial Garden, where she assisted in twelve fund raising galas for the Garden. Donna traveled with Nick extensively in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. She also traveled with her friends, her two favorites were a trip to India with 10 Australian ladies and a tour of whisky distilleries in Scotland by train with friend from Texas.

Donna is survived by her mother, Bessie and her husband, Nick, and their four children, Nicholas Franklyn, John Phillip, Elizabeth Selina and Katherine Grace. A service in Donna’s honor will be held on May 2nd at 11 a.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with a reception at the Roger Sherman Inn at Noon. She will be laid to rest in West Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, and given Donna’s love for and dedication to Irwin Park, the family kindly requests that donations be made to “New Canaan Garden Club/Friends of Irwin Park”.  Please be sure to denote that donation is in honor of Donna Howard:  https://www.ncgardenclub.org/friends-of-irwin-park-donation-2/.

The Howard family is being compassionately cared for by the staff at Hoyt Funeral Home 199 Main St., New Canaan CT 06840.  www.hoytfuneralhome.com