Joseph Raymond Howard, age 94 of Bardstown, passed away November 26, 2020 at the VA Medical Center in Louisville. He was born May 7, 1926 in Whitesville, (Daviess County) Ky, and graduated from Saint Mary of the Woods High School on June 4, 1944. He enlisted into the Army on July 22, 1944 and was a T/SGT of the motor pool in Central Europe. He was assigned to the Third Army under the command of General George S. Patton and was among the many that fought and died at the Battle of the Bulge. He received an Honorable Discharge June 25, 1946 and was awarded the Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the German Occupation Medal. In 1946, after the war, he entered St Charles Catholic seminary in Baltimore Maryland. It was here he began his journey to fulfill his passion of becoming a monastic religious priest. In 1949, he entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Monastery located near Bardstown, to continue his education for the priesthood. Several years later he chose not to pursue the priesthood and reentered the monastery as a lay brother and was given his monastic name of Brother Nicholas. In August 1959 he took his solemn vows and continued his life as a monk for 27 years. In Feb. 1976, he left the monastery, and moved to Klute Texas, and in 1977 he returned to Kentucky to work for UPS in Henderson, KY. Shortly afterwards, he married Frances Cecil, his wife of 43 years and returned to Bardstown. He went to work for Whayne Supply in Louisville as a heavy equipment mechanic and retired in June 1992 after 15 years of service. During this time, he hauled water to the surrounding community in his red 1961 water truck. Joseph Howard was a kind and simple man. He knew and loved history, politics, and religion and would often quote detailed information on all three subjects to anyone who would listen, but his greatest love of all was God, Prayer, and the Bible. His famous words were "be at peace" and somehow, he knew how to do that well. To the Howard family he was known as Johnnie or Uncle Johnnie. To his wife, stepchildren and many special friends he was known as Brother Nicholas or simply Nick and to many others he was known as Joe Howard. He was known and loved so many and he will truly be missed. He is preceded in death by his parents, JL and Mary Elva Payne Howard, his brothers, Francis, Louis, David, Stephen, Clifton and John C. and his sister, Marcella Howard Schepers also known as "Girl" who passed away Nov. 1, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Frances Cecil Howard, his step children, Janet Hoehler (Steve), Joe Ed Cecil of Lou, KY, Pat Bronger, Karen Downs, and Ronnie Cecil of Bardstown, KY. and his brother, Malcolm (Martha) Howard of Vine grove, Ky. He is also survived by his step grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. A private Funeral Mass will be held at 10 AM EST Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Holy Cross Catholic church, 59 New Haven Road, Loretto. Rev. Matthew Hardesty will officiate. Burial will follow in Saint Mary of the Woods Cemetery in Whitesville at 12:30 CST. The funeral mass will be livestreamed onto the Mattingly Funeral Home facebook page. A private visitation will be held 4-6 PM Friday at Mattingly Funeral Home, 195 Holy Cross Road, Loretto.