Howard Waldomar Ewy, a Denver native and retired Navy officer who helped recover the crew of Apollo 13 from the South Pacific, died Nov. 13 after battling Parkinson’s disease. He was 86.
Ewy, who graduated from South High School in 1947 and the University of Colorado in 1952, served as an aviator for most of his Navy career.
In April 1970, Ewy, was executive officer and air boss aboard the USS Iwo Jima when the aircraft carrier picked up the Apollo 13 astronauts after their famous, near-tragic lunar mission.
The Apollo 13 mission was beset by hardship after an oxygen tank exploded in space. The crew took, and performed, many life-saving measures before returning safely to Earth.
Ewy’s children heard his voice on television as the Apollo rescue was broadcast.
Ewy’s name is engraved on panel 003 of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor for the extraction mission.
Ewy married Elizabeth Franklin, a fellow CU student, and they raised seven children.
A long-time Washington Park area resident, Ewy enjoyed hosting family, friends and visitors to his home.
He enjoyed traveling and in retirement visited Europe and Asia along with his second wife, Tempa, whom he married in 1989.
Mechanically inclined, Ewy, along with his brother, Rodger, restored over the years a 1928 Fort Model T purchased in 1945.
Ewy was a 17-year volunteer at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
In later years, Ewy was part of a study that measured the effects of acupuncture on people affected by Parkinson’s. His family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation.
His last few days were spent in the presence of his family, listening to his favorite music, including Aaron Copland, Dave Brubeck and Duke Ellington.
He is survived by his wife, Tempa; brother, Rodger of Boulder; children Melissa Weyant of Lakewood, Brendan Ewy of Denver, Katherine Mikevich of Golden, Elizabeth Hudd of Evergreen, John Ewy of Louisville and Sarah Sweeney of Evergreen; 15 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A service will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Fort Logan National Cemetery, staging area A.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson @denverpost.com or @kierannicholson
