Just days after telling his Facebook fans that he and Nancy had sold their beloved North Shore Inn of Benton Harbor, the eclectic burger baron has passed away. Tom Howe was 68 at the time of his death on Saturday at the Hanson Hospice Center, and will be widely remembered as one of the most colorful characters in the entire region.
Tom's obituary from Starks & Menchinger Chapel in St. Joseph says it all: "Tom had many passions and hobbies in his life. He was a fully ordained minister and the founder of the 'Tom Howe View of Life Church,' dispensing his wisdom to all who would listen. He even performed a wedding ceremony at the North Shore Inn and was proud to do so."
Tom was born in South Haven and went to high school there before enlisting in the U.S. Army, proudly serving in Germany and at Fort Lewis Washington as the General's personal cook. The general may well have been the first to proclaim that Tom's hamburger was the best he'd ever had in his life, something we all can relate to once we've had a North Shore Inn burger.
Following his enlistment assignments, Tom returned to Western Michigan University to earn his degree in Advertising & Marketing even as he was working as a truck driver for Associated Trucking of Benton Harbor. In 1968 he married Nancy Pacquin of St. Joseph, and they purchased the North Shore Inn in Benton Harbor in 1991. Prior to the restaurant, Tom worked with Siebert-Mathieu-Bowser & Reed Advertising in Benton Harbor before founding his own computer company called The Information Center.
Another deep passion of Tom Howe was his love of cars. In fact, he spent several years building his 1923 Ford T-Bucket into the 700HP "CB2GO" that everyone is now afraid to drive, but wins awards all the time. He also enjoyed fishing, spending many a vacation in Mexico with close friends deep sea fishing for the ever elusive "big one."
Tom loved every minute at the North Shore whether he was grilling those famous hamburgers, trying out new recipes, preparing specials, or simply greeting each and every customer who walked through the door, making tons of friends along the way.
Tom & Nancy worked hard to build the North Shore Inn into a family-friendly establishment even as he was making the Inn a main attraction at the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid over the past six years.
Tom had a sincere passion for live and lived every minute in his own special way — a truly colorful character full of humor and always far more appreciative of laughter than of tears. Tom will be dearly missed.
It was on July 6th…just ten days before he died…that Tom posted his weekly special and then shared the news of the sale of his business to Anne-Elise Landsdown when he wrote:
And I suppose you can tell it's not me "signing-off", but there are only a few months left of my announcements. After 25 years, Nancy and I are passing the torch on to a new owner to "make a go of it" with the North Shore. We will be here through September — please do stop in and see us.
Sadly for most of us, we never got the chance to do exactly that. Tom is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nancy, his children John (Stacey) Howe of Benton Harbor, Courtney (Brian) League of Milwaukee and six grandchildren.
Tom's "Final Fish Fry" will be held in his honor and memory in the fall. Per his wishes, his body was donated to the Mayo Clinic Anatomical Department for research. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice at Home or the Hanson Hospice Center.
