BRIDGEWATER, MA - Rhonda Jean Howe, 58, died peacefully on October 12, 2020 from complications associated with Type 1 diabetes. Rhonda always struggled at keeping her diabetes in check along with all of its complications. Yet she was always a loving daughter, sister and aunt eager to offer a helping hand to others and never asked for anything in return.

Rhonda graduated from Bridgewater-Raynham HS in 1979 and earned a degree in Biology from Bridgewater State College where her dad was a longtime professor and administrator. Rhonda went on to work as a chemist for a variety of labs until her health deteriorated in the late 90’s. Then as a licensed massage therapist, she truly enjoyed helping others' wellbeing. For the past twenty years, Rhonda has been her mom’s caregiver and best friend. A self-taught jack of all trades, Rhonda loved refurbishing the house and embellishing the yard.

Rhonda was a beloved daughter of Pauline M. (Patterson) Howe of Bridgewater (age 99) and the late Dr. Kenneth J. Howe. She was a devoted sister of Spencer K. Howe and wife Dawn of Scituate, Holly A. Ruggiero and husband Paolo of Italy, as well as Wendy A. Howe and late husband Barry Guaraldi of Middleboro. Rhonda was an adoring aunt to Adam and fiancée Anna, Jason, Adriana, Valeria, Heather, and Diana, and great-aunt of Tayla, Micah, and Landen.

Poor Rhonda! Dawn would always say that when she thought about Rhonda’s life. Rhonda had such a struggle. And yet, she would always hold the family together by arranging and hosting all the family get-togethers. My family remembers Rhonda hosting the Howe family Christmas, gingerbread house making and Easter egg coloring. We are all going to miss Rhonda desperately.

When we were much smaller, I remember acting belligerent outside the car trying to get to an unlocked door with Rhonda inside. In those days, there wasn’t a single button to lock all the doors, and Rhonda had to scramble inside the car to lock all the doors while I ran around the end of the car. I didn’t have a chance and knew it, but thought it great fun. Many years later, I found out Rhonda was truly terrified at the antics. Siblings!

Another time I remember taking Rhonda with me to a local pond where we collected a waterlily, tadpoles, and even a tiny sunfish for a back-yard pond that we set up. Little Rhonda kept up with me the whole day. She was always a good companion.

When Rhonda was 11 years old, I came home one day to find her sleeping on the sofa, but I could not wake her. Soon we learned that Rhonda had diabetes, and whenever we couldn’t wake her, we needed to force her, semi-conscious to drink a glass of orange juice. Rhonda came to hate orange juice, and I can’t blame her.

Rhonda was a regular on our father’s 22’ Aquasport fishing boat. That boat took thousands of Bluefish, and was central to our family while we were growing up. When we got home with fish, Gran-mama would always be waiting at home to help clean and freeze them. Waiting to clean the boat and refuse would always be a neighbor’s cat. There were a lot of good times on that boat, and oh I wish we could take one more trip with Rhonda.

Rhonda’s diabetes was cured with a pancreas transplant, and then a second. There were moments when her life was in the balance, but she came through it and her blood sugar was perfectly controlled as of the recovery room. But the prior years of diabetes had done their damage. Diabetes destroys capillary blood vessels, and nerves. Missing capillaries prevents antibodies from getting to the extremities, and in Rhonda’s case, nerve damage interfered with regulation of her blood pressure. Even with a working pancreas, diabetic damage continued to accumulate and has finally killed her.

My little sister is gone. We all cherish her memory in our own loving way.