Dr. Howard Russell Burkle Jr., age 88, of Grinnell, died on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center. A memorial service will be held 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 13, 2014, at the United Church of Christ – Congregational in Grinnell with the Rev. Nate Klug, pastor of the United Church of Christ – Congregational and the Rev. Christine Tinker, Mayflower Community Chaplain, officiating. A reception at the church will be held following the service. Memorials may be designated to the Howard R. Burkle Memorial Fund to benefit organizations of the family's choice and may be mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.smithfh.com. Howard was born on July 15, 1925, in Monticello, Arkansas, to Howard Russell Burkle, Sr. and Crystal (Kizer) Burkle. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and an ordained minister, Howard was awarded a B.A. from Central Missouri State College. He served as Chaplain in the U.S. Navy and then went on to receive an M. Div. and PhD from Yale University. After previous positions at Colorado College and Dickinson College, in 1958 Howard moved to Grinnell, Iowa, where he would become Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Grinnell College. From his earliest appointment in 1958, Howard was a beloved and esteemed colleague, a teacher and mentor who nurtured the academic careers of students and faculty alike, and who helped establish widely respected programs at the college, including Grinnell's Department of Religious Studies. He retired as Full Professor in 1995, and as Emeritus Professor continued to teach religion, philosophy and humanities courses until 2003. Among his many contributions, Howard was the first faculty member to work with student volunteers in Grinnell's highly regarded Liberal Arts in Prison Program at the Newton Correctional Facility. He was also one of the first faculty mentors for Posse Scholars, a Grinnell access program that supports diverse students from Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Among those mentored by Howard was a young faculty member who would become Grinnell College President, George Drake. "I found him so extraordinarily effective, and caring about me as a young faculty member," said Drake. "He was a terrific mentor both to students and colleagues." As impressive as his professional credentials may be, Howard was equally devoted to his family and was a much beloved father and grandfather. Howard was married to Jeanne Burkle (neé Mayo) and was father to Michael, Heidi, and Amy. He is survived by his daughter Amy Burkle Nelson of Cedar Rapids, IA; grandchildren Jesse Johnson of Grinnell, IA, Sara Eilert of Delaware, OH, Melissa Rose of Cedar Rapids, IA, and William Eilert of Dallas, TX; and great-grandchildren Braden, Alex, and Nora Johnson of Grinnell, IA and Maxwell Rose of Cedar Rapids, IA; and sister Anita Eagleton of Kentfield, California.