Howard E. Lechler

HOWARD EARL LECHLER, age 93, a well-known long time Clayton and Gouverneur, New York resident, a highly successful businessman, an avid sailor, hunter and fisherman, and a generous benefactor for numerous Upstate New York causes, passed away on June 3, 2018, at home in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was the husband of Mary Lou (Rouse) Lechler. Howard and Mary Lou spent 43 years of a loving marriage together. Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 24, 1925, to Joseph A. and Bessie L. Lechler. He graduated from Clarkson University in May 1948 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, then earning an Master of Science Engineering degree from Clarkson in 1953 and receiving an Honorary degree from Clarkson in 1978. Howard sat on the Board of Clarkson University and was a professor there as well. Howard and Mary Lou expanded his deep relationship with Clarkson University by establishing the Howard E. '48 and Mary Lou Lechler Endowed Scholarship at Clarkson, followed by Howard and Mary Lou endowing the Clarkson University Construction Engineering Management Program. Howard began his career as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Clarkson in 1948. John Rouse, Mary Lou's father, interviewed several candidates and saw Howards’ management potential to start up the highly successful and now very large, multi-location, steel fabrication enterprise known today as Cives Steel Company with headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia. Howard was also on the Board of American Institute of Steel Construction. Howard loved sailing, and owned several beautiful sailboats, well-known and remembered around Clayton, sailing the St. Lawrence River, the Bahamas, and Virgin Islands. These Yachts were appropriately named the "Civais", (which is the phonetic expression of his business enterprise name "Cives"), developing over the years through increasingly nice sailboats, the last being named the "Civais IV". Howard was an avid game hunter, and a member of St. Lawrence County hunting club, Co-founder of the Dry Timber Lake, Inc. and Mad River Lodge. He also loved to fish, particularly for salmon in British Columbia, Canada. He was very generous to many important causes, in addition to Clarkson. He served as a Founder, a Director of, and contributor to The Thousand Islands Foundation, Inc., and he and Mary Lou were significant contributors to the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department, the Gouverneur Foundation and The Northern New York Community Foundation. Howard is survived by his wife Mary Lou, his daughter, Dianne J. Diaz of Ithaca, New York; his daughter, Stacia O. Lechler of Raleigh, North Carolina; his grandson ,David M. Diaz of Cooperstown, New York; and his granddaughter, Elizabeth M. Diaz of Ithaca, New York; his grandson, W. Ata Twining of Raleigh, North Carolina and granddaughter, Sophia Lechler-Austin of Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also survived by his stepsons; W. John Twining and wife Nazan Twining of Raleigh, North Carolina, and W. Ashley Twining of Alpharetta, Georgia and is preceded in death by his sister, Florence L. Lechler, late of Raleigh, North Carolina , and his granddaughter Aimee E. Diaz, late of Liverpool, New York. There will be a celebration of life to be held at his home in Clayton, New York on July 28th, 2018 at 4:00PM . Howard's ashes will be interred in the John Rouse Family Plot at the Old Tully Cemetery in Tully, New York, and equally spread upon the waters of the St, Lawrence River that Howard so loved. In lieu of flowers, Celebration of Life donations may be made to the Thousand Islands Foundation at http://www.thousandislandsfoundation.org/ways-to-give.html or via mail to The Gouverneur Foundation, In the name of Howard Lechler, 133 E. Barney Street, Gouverneur, NY 13642.

Howard E. Lechler

February 24, 1925 - June 3, 2018