Delila Howe

Delila was born on November 19, 1934, to Noble Manning Inglett and Viola (Smith) Inglett in Lucas, SD. She grew up on the family ranch. She was one of seven children. She attended a one-room schoolhouse in Lucas, and frequently rode her horse Star to school. She graduated from Burke High School and Clarkson College Nursing School, Omaha, NE. She had a storied career. In the ‘60’s she was AMA’s research nurse of the year, for her work on the ‘iron lung’ and the first dialysis program at the University of Minnesota.

She was instrumental in designing a ‘laminar flow unit’ where filtered air flowed one direction. Standing upwind so no germs would contaminate “The Bubble Boy” who had almost no immunity defenses.

Also at U of M she instructed MD students on nurse relations and bedside manner. One was Christiaan Barnard who performed the world’s first heart transplant. Barnard was taught by Delila’s good friend and co-worker Dr. Norman Shumway.

Her son Kim was born in 1957. After a particularly brutal Minneapolis winter, she and Kim packed a small U-Haul, towed by her ’68 Camaro convertible, and drove to California. Only returning to visit.

In the ‘70’s she took a position at UC San Francisco researching bone marrow transplants. Disproportionally, gay men were coming in with severe white cell and immune deficiencies. Hers was the team that eventually gave AIDS its name.

Her favorite job was at the Marin County Jail (AKA blue roof inn), where she was instrumental in helping numerous young people to change their ways upon release.

In 1977 she married David Howe, a Marin County native. The morning sun was washing the east side of Mt. Tamalpais, two days before her 89th birthday, at peace, in no pain, in her own home, Delila passed away.

Delila was preceded in death by six siblings: Gene, Joan Bartling, Velma Burkinshaw, Gary, Gail and Neal.

She is survived by her husband David; son Kim Noble Inglett Baez, and his wife Quail Baez; three sisters-in-law; and nieces, nephews and their children.