Vinita Mae Howard

Vinita Mae Howard, 94, passed away on February 2, 2023, at the age of 94. She was born in 1928 in Elsie, Nebraska, and moved to Salem with her parents, Glen and Retha (Brown) Howard, in 1943. After graduating from Salem High School in 1945, Vinita attended Willamette University, where a part-time job as a proofreader for the Oregon Statesman newspaper sparked an interest in journalism. She then transferred to the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism, graduating in 1949. After graduation, Vinita worked briefly as a reporter for the Newport News and the Oregon Statesman. Her journalism background ultimately led her to a career in public affairs with the Traffic Safety Division of Department of Motor Vehicles. She also became a lobbyist for the agency and helped develop and encourage the adoption of many traffic safety measures, including child restraint and drunk driving laws. She retired in 1987 as manager of the agency’s Public Affairs and Rules Section. In retirement, Vinita continued working for traffic safety legislation.
In 1990, she was appointed by Governor Barbara Roberts to the Governor’s Committee on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and continued on that committee under subsequent Governors until 2017. In 2001, she received an Advocate of the Year award and, in 2010, a Lifesaver Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She also was a freelance writer, authoring occasional guest opinions on traffic safety matters in the Eugene Register-Guard, the Oregonian, and the Statesman Journal.
Vinita was a member of the Market Street Church of Christ and put her skills into practice there as well. She organized and updated the congregation’s yearly membership directory and was the news editor for the congregation’s weekly bulletin for many years. She also wrote and periodically updated a history of the congregation. Vinita was not married and had no siblings, but she loved her family and enjoyed researching and writing about her extended family tree. She very much enjoyed family reunions and other gatherings and was the family’s unofficial photographer at such events. She will be remembered fondly by her many family members and friends for her enormous energy, keen intellect, wry humor, and independent spirit.
Services for Vinita will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at Restlawn Memory Gardens and Funeral Home, 201 S. Oak Grove Rd. NW, Salem, OR 97304. A memorial service for all who would like to attend will be held at 11 a.m. at the chapel adjacent to the cemetery. A private interment for family members only will be held at the cemetery at 10 a.m.