Remembering Bill Howenstine
Remembering Bill Howenstine: William Lester Howenstine “Bill” Born June 20, 1925
Bill Howenstine was a gentle force of nature and led a life of great impact. He passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 100, at home on the farm where he and Alice, his wife of 72 years, had lived since 1970.
Bill was thoughtful, kind, and caring. He was honest and, consistently and without exception, lived his values; love was his driving force.
He and Alice met at a summer camp near Cleveland, Ohio, where Bill was a high school counselor. Throughout their lives they shared a deep commitment to peace, protection of the natural environment, and recognition of the interconnectivity of all things. In 1951, they joined the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and were married in an outdoor Quaker wedding in Hiram, Ohio.
Bill’s life included a rich mix of formal and experiential education. While completing a PhD in Conservation at the University of Michigan, he built and directed an outdoor education program for the Cleveland Heights Public Schools.
With Alice and their children (Chuck, Debra, and Erick), Bill moved to Chicago for a position with a new and innovative teachers’ college, now Northeastern Illinois University, where he taught Environmental Studies and served in the administration for nearly forty years.
During the mid-1960s, the family spent over a year in Latin America. Bill and Alice worked with a Quaker community service organization in a small village in Mexico and in a desert community outside Lima, Peru.
In 1968, in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, Bill developed and led a residential program for students in conjunction with Pikeville College.
He had a gift for helping disparate groups find common ground and reach consensus. He did this in heated classroom discussions, in casual conversation, within community organizations, and as Dean of Students at Northeastern Illinois University during the turbulent 1960s.
In 1970, the Howenstines moved to their farm near McHenry, where the family still owns and operates an organic cut-your-own Christmas tree farm. The farm has served as a location for people of varied backgrounds to come together to enjoy outdoor experiences and learn environmental skills.
Bill and Alice were instrumental in the early years of the Envronmental Defenders of McHenry County. While Alice was considered the driving force and inspiration behind McHenry County’s recycling efforts, Bill played key roles in a number of regional groups focused on land conservation. He was among the founders of the McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) and filled a number of leadership positions, twice serving as Board President. To date, MCCD has preserved over 25,000 acres of open space. Bill was deeply involved in opposition to a controversial proposed highway expansion slated to destroy an important glacial geologic formation. These efforts resulted in the requirement that all future highway public works projects go through an environmental assessment process. Bill also helped form the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts and was a founding Board Member of what is now the Land Conservancy of McHenry County.
In 2009, he received the George and Barbara Fell Award from the National Land Institute for his lifelong dedication to the protection of natural areas; in 2010, Bill and Alice jointly received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County; and in 2019, Bill was one of the first two recipients of the McHenry County Conservation District’s Conservation Champion Award.
Active Quakers for 70 years, Bill and Alice helped start the McHenry County Quaker Meeting and often hosted meetings for worship at their farm. They were founding members of Quaker Earthcare Witness, an international network of Quakers working toward ecological integrity and environmental justice. They helped launch and support a collective farm in Costa Rica that pioneered ecological land use. In recognition of their environmental and Quaker peace activities, they were joint recipients of a 2007 Peace and Justice Award.
Bill was a dear friend, inspiration, and mentor to many. He will be remembered, loved, missed, and carried forward in the hearts and lives of his family, friends, and those he impacted during his extraordinary life.
