Geoffrey was born on 24 April 1924 in Harringay. Due to personal circumstances he attended a number of schools but did well at Newquay County Boys School and studied dentistry at the Royal Dental Hospital and medicine at the Middlesex.

A bright Geoffrey gained several prizes. As he was under-21 on finishing his course he could not take finals so he worked as a student house officer at Stoke Mandeville with Desmond Greer Walker, a pioneer in war injuries care. Geoffrey qualified LDS in 1946. In December, Lieutenant Howe joined the Army, beginning a long association with the military. Following demobilisation in 1949 he joined orthodontic and oral surgery training schemes, working with Clifford Ballard, John Hovell and John Hooper. He qualified LRCP, MRCS in 1954 and FDS in 1955 and joined Sir William Kelsey Fry and Frank Wilkinson, dean at the Eastman.

Geoffrey became the first Professor of Oral Surgery at Durham University in 1959. In 1961 he received the Cartwright prize of the Royal College for research into surgical aids to prosthetics. In 1967 Geoffrey was appointed Professor of Oral Surgery at RDH. Five years later he became dean. He was a fellow of the British Association of Oral Surgeons and of the BDA's Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services (Chair 1971-73). He chaired the BDA's Council for 5 years and was president of the European Economic Community's Dental Liaison Committee.

Geoffrey helped Hong Kong to plan a new school, becoming Dean of the Prince Phillip Dental School (1978-83). Whilst there he was president of the International Association of Oral Surgeons. In February 1987, Geoffrey became Professor of Oral Surgery and Medicine at Jordan's University of Science and Technology; dean in the following year.

Howe examined for Newcastle, Belfast, Dublin, Baghdad, Singapore, Malta, Melbourne and London universities. He published several books and numerous articles and gained many awards from abroad.

For many years Geoffrey undertook the dental work at London Zoo. He belonged to the Savage, Gents and Travellers Clubs and enjoyed sailing. Howe was a Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) officer with the Territorial Army General Hospitals, consultant dental surgeon to the RADC and the first RADC officer to command a general hospital. He was also the first honorary colonel commandant of the RADC. Geoffrey was awarded the Territorial Decoration (1962) and bars (1969, 1974); and the TAVR Decoration (1975).

On 8 April 1947 Howe married Heather Hambly, at St Paul's Church, Harringay. Their son Timothy James died just before Heather in 1997. In 2003. Howe married Mrs Margaret Samuel (née Hall), but she died in 2010. Geoffrey died on 17 July. He is survived by his younger brothers John and Alan, and stepson Peter.