Obituaries

Dr. Howard Allen Starr, 84, of Denison, Texas, passed away at his home on Friday, October 28, 2022.

Howard was born in Waco, Texas, to Clarence and Ouida Starr on April 7, 1938. He received his BA from the University of Dallas, his MA from SMU, and his Ph.D. from East Texas State University.

He completed 48 years on the Austin College faculty, certainly placing him among the longest-tenured faculty at the College, where he twice received the Austin College Excellence in Teaching Award. He also received the College’s Homer P. Rainey Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service.

During his tenure at Austin College, Howard held several positions in addition to teaching, from vice president of the now-reconfigured College Relations Division to chair of the counseling center to campus ombudsman, Dean of Educational Administration to Dean of Social Sciences.

Through many years and varied roles, his primary devotion was always teaching psychology. His passion for this field and for his students remained constant and through it he made a lasting impression on his students.

His flagship course was “Death and Dying,” which grew out of his interest in the psychology of hospice. It was a new arena of study when Howard first took it up, and while on sabbatical, he joined 500 professionals from around the world at the First International Symposium on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society, held in Israel. He spent several months in England, Egypt, and Israel studying hospice treatments and exploring the psychology of bereavement. He taught the course “Death and Dying” every semester for more than 30 years, in part because he saw how many students were carrying emotional burdens that affected their academic performances and quality of life. Another one of his signature classes “Psychology of Relationships,” became a resource for many students dealing with their own relationship issues.

Howard’s regular classes, laced with film clips to convey emotion and realism, carried the impression of a one-act play, with Howard front and center as the lead character. Barely checking his notes, he educated and entertained with frequent stories and asides. And he wasn’t afraid to take an intermission—he would pause in his lectures to encourage students to stretch or do jumping-jacks to make sure they were awake.

Not all his courses were somber. During many January Terms, Howard and groups of students traveled to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji for “A Cross-Cultural Study Down Under,” examining the people, places, foods, and history of the countries. Of course, opportunities for adventure were numerous and he loved traveling the world with his partner, Bruce Marsico.

His other professional accomplishments include being a certified Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas, a certified clinical hypnotist by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and he was named a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association (APA).

Howard was also one of the founding directors of Home Hospice of Grayson County in 1983 and remained active in the agency throughout his life.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Ouida Starr. He is survived by his partner of 30 years, Bruce Marsico; his children Brandon King Starr (and wife Laura) of Dallas and Virginia Starr Grubbs (and husband Steve) of Rowayton, CT; and his granddaughters Finley and Ellis Starr.

A celebration of Howard’s life will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Howard's memory to Home Hospice of Grayson County, the general Austin College scholarship fund or your favorite cat rescue.

You can sign the online quest registry at www.dannelfuneralhome.com