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Howard Pyle Wyeth (April 22, 1944 – March 27, 1996) was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father was Nathaniel Wyeth, an inventor and Engineering Fellow with the duPont Corporation. His mother was Caroline Pyle of Wilmington, Delaware. NC Wyeth, the famous illustrator from Chadd’s Ford Pennsylvania, was one of his grandparents, as was Ellen Pyle. She painted 40 Saturday Evening Post covers, and numerous book jackets, and illustrations for books and magazines. Howie is the namesake of Howard Pyle, his great-uncle, the "Dean of American Illustrators".
Howie grew up with four brothers, Convers, Andy, John, and David. His older brother, Nowell was killed in an auto accident, and his only sister Caroline died as a young child. Howie and his family moved from Northern New Jersey to Chadd’s Ford, where they lived for several years, then moved to Hockessin, Delaware, where they lived until Howie was 14. The family then moved to Hamorton, Pa.
At age 8, he had a very serious case of Polio. The prognosis was grim. Miraculously, after months of hospitalization, he recovered, and suffered no permanent disability from this dreadful disease.
There were great Monopoly games at the Wyeth’s house in Hockessin. Many times the games lasted for days at a time. Their home was the scene for many "jam sessions" and other get-togethers. Howard was charismatic, and had a special charm that drew people to him.
Howie was an avid sports fan his entire life. As a child, he went to many large family picnics, birthday parties, and other family functions, which were always capped off with a large baseball game. Howard, his brothers, and cousin Walter (also known as “Bull”) were always playing the sport of the season; football, baseball, and basketball, as well as badminton, croquet, and other outdoor sports. A great fan of the Syracuse Orangemen, Howie often sided with the underdog in sports. He rooted for the Phillies and A’s (‘nuf sed). When the American Football League started, he liked them better than the established NFL. He continued to stand up for the underdog throughout his life.
In High School, Howard was All-State Band, and played varsity soccer at Friends. He started the “Friends School Marching Band Sitting Down”. The band’s name was an inside joke, and it was an honor to play in it. They played at assemblies and at sporting events.