P E T E R H O W A R D
Peter Howard grew up on Park Road Circle, also known as Candy Cane Lane, which bordered Ravenna Park. When he was about 6 years old, he spent almost every afternoon with a neighbor friend who was building a boat.
Peter's affinity and close relationship to water began early on while watching the hydroplanes racing each year, on Lake Washington, since 1952. Peter and his parents rode on a tugboat during the tugboat races on Elliot Bay in 1954 and almost every summer during the mid 1950's, his parents rented cabins on the waters of Useless Bay up north on Whidbey Island.
Around 1955, his parents bought an 18 1/2 foot Bryant Raider outboard cruiser named Rock'n Roll. His father entrusted him to use the boat to go water skiing, three to four times a week, with his friends Bernie, Hal and Andy, who skied on custom made Wally Burr skis. Peter and his family also took multiple summer excursions to the San Juan Islands and in 1963, his parents bought a beach house at Mutiny Bay on Whidbey Island.
Later, Peter spent time on the water out of La Push working on the fishing vessel FV Joy of Seattle with captain Tom Joslin.
In 1966, after graduating from the University of Washington, Peter joined the US Navy completing two tours of combat duty from 1966 to 1968 in Vietnam on the destroyers USS Dennis J. Buckley and the destroyer USS Morton.
Peter crossed the pacific three times and was discharged in 1968. Peter then began working for the Olympic Steamship Company from 1969 to 1970 as a ship chaser, delivering mail and money to foreign ships visiting ports of call on the waters of Puget Sound.
In the mid 1970’s, Peter met and fell in love with Zella Jeannette. She had moved to Seattle after finishing graduate school in Idaho. Zella was the head teacher at Interim School where they both worked. Peter taught Washington state history and math at the school.
Zella had become enchanted with the houseboat scene in Seattle and in 1980 she bought the houseboat number six on Lake Union. Peter moved in two years later. In 2009, Peter and Zella received a certificate of domestic partnership from the Washington Secretary of State. Together they have enjoyed a happy northwest lifestyle on their Lake Union floating home with their art collection and garden. During the time when Zella was a graduate school student in Pocatello, Idaho, she was close friends with many of the art students and faculty. Zella acquired several paintings by members of the art department including artists like Paul Havas.
Peter & Zella spent over fifteen years traveling through Mexico, visiting many of the towns which were known for specific unique Mexican artisan styles, where they developed a keen passion for Mexican Folk Art. Every year they would bring home more pieces to add to their collection of Day of The Dead Catrina sculptures, carved Alebrijes animals from a town outside the city of Oaxaca. Along with pottery in the Puebla Style from a small town near the Texas border and tapestries from Teotitlán del Valle, outside of Oaxaca, Mexico. Peter and Zella collected extensively during their vacations and continued their patronage by also collecting artworks of Northwest artists to which Peter continues to acquire for the expanding art collection.
Zella Jeannette passed away in 2015. Peter continues to live in their Lake Union floating home that he and Zella shared together in houseboat number six painted the color of Oaxacan mole rojo sauce with green pepper trim from 1982 to the present.
I hope you have enjoyed visiting and seeing one of the last remaining original historic Lake Union houseboat lifestyles and viewing the art collection that fills the houseboat. A true life upon the Floating World and a portrait of Peter Howard and Zella Jeannette’s time there.
Thanks for coming aboard!
