J. Howard DuBois

John Howard DuBois, beloved husband of more than 50 years to Gwyneth DuBois, devoted father of Debbie, John, and David, proud grandfather of Megan, Benjamin, J. D., Michael, Christopher, Jessica, Lily, Rebecca, and Gwyneth, and great-grandfather to Audrey, Vivian, Johnny, Oscar, Nora, and Phoebe, passed away August 3rd at Woodland Country Manor in Oxford. Born in Hiram, Ohio, on June 27, 1924, he was the son of Marie Miller and John Harold DuBois. His childhood was filled with warm memories of time spent with his 4 brothers and sister and many friends in both Hiram and, later, Kent, Ohio.

After serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II, Howard moved to Oxford, having taken to the town through trips with his father to buy and sell books at Miami University. While a student at Miami, he successfully lobbied his father to establish DuBois Bookstore in Oxford in 1945, a business that he managed and later owned and which remains in operation today under the management of his son John. Not long after graduating from Miami in 1948 he established another DuBois Bookstore location in Cincinnati to serve the University of Cincinnati, which also remains in business. These were busy, but fulfilling years during which he shuttled back and forth between Oxford and Cincinnati to run the two bookstores while also meeting and marrying Gwyn and starting their family together. The “stone house” in which they lived during this period remains a familiar landmark to many on Bonham Road just outside of Oxford.

Howard’s avid support of all things Miami was highlighted in these early years by a tradition of driving a fire truck with cheerleaders in Homecoming parades and, later, by the donated use of his “Campus Caboose” for transportation during alumni weekends. One of Howard’s other long-held interests was motorhomes. An early member of the Family Motor Coach Association, he and his family were regular attendees of the meetings of this group and in the process formed numerous lasting friendships. Howard and Gwyn took the family on many memorable motorhome trips throughout the country, delighting especially in the discovery of quaint towns and other points of interest that were off the beaten path.

Bicycling, however, was Howard’s greatest passion. Along with near daily bike rides around the Oxford area even in decidedly inclement weather, he was an active participant in bicycle touring organizations. His many trips with these groups, often with Gwyn or one of his children accompanying him, traversed the U.S. as well as several other countries. Remarkably, at the age of 71, he rode his bike “coast to coast", beginning in California and ending in Massachusetts. A generous benefactor to many charitable causes throughout his lifetime, Howard’s last major gift was, fittingly, a donation to the Oxford Community Foundation (The Howard and Gwyneth DuBois Fund) to help further the bike trail that will eventually encompass Oxford.

Howard is preceded in death by his wife Gwyneth, brothers Fred, Pierre, and Jack, and sister Harriet, and is survived by a brother, Paul, of Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. The family wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Woodland for their attentive and loving care for him in his final years as well as to his long-time physician, Dr. Rick Bucher. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Howard and Gwyneth DuBois Fund through the Oxford Community Fund, 22 E. High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056.

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