Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services Legend Jenny Howard Retires After Over 43 Years of Service

When she was a sophomore in high school in Minnesota, prosthetic technician Jenny Howard’s mom was struck by what she saw as she looked in the window of a building that revealed people crafting prosthetic devices. She suggested to her daughter that she look into taking a high school class where she could acquire those skills. Jenny took her mom’s advice, enrolling in a class her junior year. She immediately felt connected to the work.

“I think people kind of get a calling for something, and I think it was just the thing that was meant to be for me,” Jenny said.

After graduating as a certified prosthetic technician two years later, then relocating to Portland and starting her career at Shriners Children’s Portland, Jenny had indeed found her calling. Now, after 43 years of service to Shriners Children’s, she is ready to write her next chapter.

“The abundance of knowledge that Jenny represents simply cannot be replaced,” Todd DeWees, manager of the Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) department, said. “She has seen the evolution of our field as few people have.”

When Jenny entered the prosthesis landscape in 1982, the devices were all made from metal and leather. Patients would start with a prosthetic device that was lovingly called a “broomstick,” straight-legged, with no technology to replicate a knee. The labor-intensive fabrication process involved fashioning sockets out of wooden blocks. Jenny had to grind each piece and sand it down by hand. Then the leather had to be stretched, soaked in water, stretched, nailed and then left to dry for an extensive period of time. Each piece was custom-made.

“Lots of hands-on work back then,” Jenny laughed.

As plastic devices entered the market in the 1980s and eventually became the norm, the benefits were clear. They were lighter, didn’t have to be attached with straps, and kids could wear any shoes they wanted with them.

“That was a big change,” Jenny said. “Kids didn’t want all that metal.”

Jenny’s knowledge and skills adapted and expanded from the patcher/sewing machine (purchased in 1947 and still in use) to the computer-controlled seven-axis carver, purchased in 2024. She has seen the wooden broomstick evolve into a full prosthetic leg with working knee and ankle joints, and changeable foot options such as blades.

Yet through all the changes, Jenny has embraced the throughline of the countless patient and family connections she had formed over the years. She was at a conference recently when someone called her name. She turned to see a former patient.

“I recognized her immediately, even though we hadn’t seen each other in years,” Jenny said. “We sat and talked for quite a while. My daughter was actually the flower girl at her wedding. Those are the kind of close connections you make with families at Shriners Children’s. I will miss that.”

“Jenny’s outgoing personality and knack for storytelling consistently brought joy and laughter to our team,” Jenny’s supervisor, Derek Tall, prosthetic/orthotic production supervisor, said. “She always loves sharing her experiences and was the primary skills trainer for most of our new team members through the decades. We will all miss her dearly.”

Looking forward, Jenny plans to move back to Minnesota to care for her mother in her retirement. But she did pause to take a minute to reflect on over 43 years of service to Shriners Children.

“It’s a fantastic organization. They do great work and I’ve always believed in it,” she said. “Pretty much my whole career has been here, and it was really, really great.”