Howard Leonard Kaplan

“Avoid people who make you unhappy.” So was the belief that guided Howard Kaplan throughout his life until his death on April 17th , 2024, in Goleta, California.

Born on December 30th , 1932, to May and Harry Kaplan in New York City, Howard lived his boyhood in the city. He was an avid baseball player and became a lifetime New York Yankees
fan.

He lost his mother at age fourteen. When his father remarried, his stepmother left him feeling unwelcome at their new home. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Richard, who joined the Marines and experienced extensive combat in the Pacific during World War II, Howard joined the Marine Corps and fought in the Korean War.

After his service, he moved west to Long Beach, California where he lived for several years with his aunt, uncle, and his cousin Jane. He attended Long Beach City College to study electronics and after graduation found employment with Western Electric, later known as Lucent Technologies. He became a supervisor of equipment installations in Nevada, California and
Arizona.

Many years ago, Howard had a short-lived marriage that ended in divorce. He then remained a bachelor for the rest of his life. He managed his fiscal affairs carefully so that by the time he was eligible to retire at fifty-five, he did so to pursue the loves of his life: classical music, travel, animal care, archeology and tennis. An avid concert-goer, he regularly attended performances at the Granada Theatre and the Music Academy of the West. He became a familiar face to musicians and conductors alike.

His travels took him to Africa, Europe, Central America and Mexico. He enjoyed his travels, mixing them with working as a volunteer at various archeological digs. He was one of Santa Barbara Zoo’s most dedicated volunteers, serving for nearly twenty years.

He loved caring for the big cats, but especially loved caring for the primates. Julia Parker, his supervisor at the zoo, described Howard as “a very serious and disciplined volunteer.” He would wryly describe his service as “I’m in training.”

Howard was a loner and could be distant, opinionated and even gruff, but he could also be a steadfast friend. Yue Deng, a concert violinist, not only admired Howard’s dedication to classical music but also to their friendship. He attended her performances in Ojai, Santa Barbara and Ventura for nearly twenty years. When she learned that he had suffered a massive stroke and was under hospice care at Casa Salisbury, an assisted living home in Goleta, she drove from Ventura with her violin to Howard’s bedside. As he lay in silence, she played French composer Jules Massenet’s beautiful “Meditation.” The piece had been of particular significance to Howard. Taking up violin studies in his seventies, he had hoped to learn to play it.

Howard died peacefully the following morning.

He is survived by his nieces, Andrea Kozack of Caldwell, Texas and Mona Tanner of Houston, Texas, his cousins Jane Matt and Barbara Rogow of Long Beach and Paul Relis of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For those who wish to honor Howard’s memory, the family suggests and appreciates contributions to the Music Academy of the West and the Granada Theatre.