Valerie Joan Howard

Valerie Joan Howard, age 61, of Montville, passed peacefully on 11/12/2025, with the comfort of family by her side.

Valerie was born in East Orange, NJ, in 1964 to Marcia and Wsewolod Luckewicz, the youngest of four children. She grew up in Livingston, NJ, graduated from Livingston High School in 1982, and from Rutgers University four years later. After graduating Rutgers, Val pursued a career in finance, which continued until Michael’s birth.

Val and Gregg met in 1987 and were planning their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary in July. They settled in Montville and started a family. Michael was born in 1995, and Graycen in 2000. Being a full-time wife and mother was Val’s true calling. She cherished each day spent raising a family. Val enjoyed getting involved in school activities and fundraising, and participated in whatever Valley View Elementary and Lazar Middle School needed her to do.

She formed close, life-long relationships in Montville, cherishing her “ladies’” nights out, which included Thursday night happy hour and Friday night BUNCO. For five summers, Michael played travel baseball for Montville, and some of Val’s fondest moments were watching his success and spending time with her baseball family.

Through the years she remained “sister” close to her Livingston “girls,” most of whom were able to visit her in her final days.

Val was a devoted lover of the ocean; she found her greatest joy on a beach. Val loved to eat what the sea offered, especially raw clams and oysters. Growing up, her family vacationed in Beach Haven every summer. Val’s sister Pat will remember celebrating their shared August birthdays, having banana ice cream at The Frosted Mug. That Luckewicz tradition continued as adults and parents. The first two weeks of August were spent in Beach Haven, joined by her two sisters and brothers’ families. Val always had a special place in her heart for her seven nieces and nephew, and spending those weeks together every year, seeing their growth and maturity, meant the world to her. She was always known as the “cool aunt.” After dating Gregg for a few months, Val discovered Longboat Key, FL. It was a place she always called her paradise. Her favorite time of day was sitting on that beach with a glass of wine and watching the sunset.

Val loved the holidays. Christmastime was spent decorating the house into a Christmas wonderland, she loved the smell of the tree in the house. Val would spend hours making sure she picked out the perfect tree. When the kids got older, for Halloween Val would dress up (usually as a witch) and trick-or-treat around Montville with Cathie S.

Michael is getting married this coming spring. From the very beginning, Val adored Willing. She would always say with a smile, “They’re so in love; Michael truly found his soulmate.”

Val’s fight with breast cancer began in 2014, and in 2021, she showed her strength once again, taking on metastatic breast cancer. For eleven years, Val faced this relentless disease with extraordinary strength, courage, and grace. Her will to live can only be described as superhuman.

Throughout these eleven years, Val was lifted by an incredible outpouring of love, support, and prayers. Val had such a huge heart, and the love she gave was returned to her many times over.

Val was predeceased by her father Wsewolod, and her brother, Michael. She leaves behind Gregg, Michael, and Graycen, whom she loved with every fiber of her body. She is also survived by her mother Marcia, sisters, Patricia Singley and Diana von Hoffman, seven nieces, and one nephew.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Valerie’s memory to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) or METAvivor.