John B. Howard

Magna, Utah, John passed away at home, surrounded by family, on February 4, 2022. He was 80 years old and died of complications from Dementia.  John was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Victor and Gladys (Wentz) Howard.  He was the third of four children and grew up in Holladay, Utah. John served in the National Guard from 1960 to 1962. He married Carroll Cressall and together they had three children, Barbara (Dennis) Stephens, Ogden, Utah, Brian (Teri) Howard, Taylorsville, Utah, and Brad (Christina) Howard, Elko, Nevada.  They later divorced and he married Barbara Pollock, who brought two more children into the mix, Michael Troy Pollock and Lori Lynn (Mitch), Jenkins.  With our blended family, we have been blessed with eighteen grandchildren and their spouses, as well as sixteen, and one more on the way, great- grandchildren.  We just celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary in January.
There were many adventures he enjoyed in his life such as river fishing, with one trip resulting in taking a chipmunk home. He also liked shooting Jack Rabbits at 2:00 in the morning!  One of his greatest joys was our cabin at Timber Lakes.  Many hours were spent there with family; fishing in the summer, coaching humming birds to sit on his finger and squirrels to sit on his lap, and snowmobiling in the winter.  It broke his heart when he was no longer able to keep up with maintenance and we had to sell.  He replaced some of those memories by sharing his motorized trucks, snowmobiles, and helicopters with grandchildren.  John also loved building things and many hours were spent at Home Depot making Kids Club projects with Kylie and Ashlyn.  Ashlyn acquired 150 pins and her grandpa helped with almost everyone.  John was adventurous and loved boating, fishing, motorcycling, and going on cruises to Alaska. Then came the Slingshot and he was in 7th heaven again.  He would drive around Magna and try to talk Ashlyn into going for a ride.  He loved to decorate our yard for Christmas; lights on the fences, in the trees, around the eaves of the house, and all the illuminating yard decorations.  As his health declined, so did the decorating.
John was beloved not only by his family, but everyone he’d meet. His quiet nature and friendly smile made people want to be around him. He was often described as kind, understanding, compassionate, and extremely patient.  We have wonderful memories and thankfully have pictures and home movies to keep him alive in our hearts.
John is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Howard, Magna, Utah, his brother, Ray Howard, American Fork, Utah, his sister, Bonnie (Larry) Stokes, Scottsdale, Arizona, and our children listed above. He is also survived by our grandchildren, Nicholas (Lynette), Stephanie (Kevin), Brittanie (Eric), Destiny (Zach), Dakota, Lindsay (Josh), Paul (Megan), Chris, Molly (Mario), Zach, Emily (Morgan), Brandon (Heidi), Austin (Char), Jonath (Jadi deceased), Ryan (Zerlynn), Kylie (Braydan) and Ashlyn. Our great-grandchildren are, Jaxon, Dylan, Carter, Kayden, Olivia, Dominic, Sofia, Liberty, Douglas, Arthur, Sam, Gabe, Trent, and Shianne.  John loved his extended family members, as we never drew lines, including Judy (Gale deceased) Pollock, Oakley, CA, Bradley (Robin) Pollock, Livermore, CA, and Jennifer (Raj) and Beckett Bhattacharya, American Canyon, CA.
He is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Vivian Spencer; and granddaughters, Amanda Howard and Jadi Packham.
My love, my soul, my life, I will miss you forever. I am so thankful for the life and family we have shared for more than 52 years. I know you will always be with me because some bonds cannot be broken, even in death. Tassie is missing you and your afternoon naps.  Run free with those who have been waiting for you.
Our thanks go to Korie Thomas, Jonath Packham, and the support of Wasatch Hospice and Home Health for the care of John in his final hours.
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