Captain Mark Howard, who was featured in the first season of Below Deck Mediterranean, has reportedly died. He was 65. Howard died in Florida at some point in the past week, a family friend told TMZ. The friend said his death happened suddenly when Howard was at home. No further details of the circumstances of his death were reported. He is survived by his wife, Susan.
Howard was seen in the first 13 episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean, a spinoff of Bravo’s long-running Below Deck series. He was known for his “customer is always right” attitude and for being the authority figure on the show. He was the captain of the superyacht Ionian Princess, which was in the water off the coast of Greece during the first season. The second season introduced Captain Sandy Yawn, who has captained all subsequent boats on the show, including Lady Michelle in the recently completed Season 6.
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According to Howard’s Bravo biography, he was born and raised near a lake in Michigan and was a yacht captain for over three decades. He captained both charter and private boats in the South Pacific, Mediterranean, and the Caribbean during his career. He also had a pilot’s license and flew helicopters as a hobby.
Although Howard was only on Below Deck for one season, Chief Stewardess Hannah Ferrier told Bravo’s Daily Dish she still kept in touch with him. “Captain Mark and I, we send a message maybe once a year, just to touch base,” Ferrier said, reports Distractify. “I really like him.” She later noted how he was very different from Yawn. “I don’t really think I knew what he was up to when I was working with him, let alone three years later,” she said. “He was like the opposite of [Captain Sandy]. He kind of drove the boat and stayed in his cabin, so it was lovely.”
After news broke of Howard’s death, Below Deck fans sent their condolences to his family. “Just saw Below Deck Med Original Captain Mark Howard passed away yesterday. Very sad. RIP,” one fan tweeted. “Saddened to hear of the loss of Captain Mark Howard. He was so gracious to our group on Season 1 [Below Deck Mediterranean] and he became a friend. Sayingprayers for his family,” another wrote.
The Below Deck franchise launched with the original series in July 2013. Below Deck Mediterranean followed in May 2016, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht in February 2020. All three shows are still in production.
