John Frederick Howard

John Frederick Howard Passed away on February 12th 2022 at the age of 96 at home, surrounded by loved ones.

September 30, 1925, in Alton Illinois, John was the youngest of seven children born to Adolph and Clara (Stolze) Howard.

John graduated from Marquette Catholic High School in 1943. In the same year, John joined the United States Navy where he would serve on the Destroyers USS Preston and USS Ralph Talbot during WWII. He was a proud sailor for over three years achieving the rank of Opticalman Petty Officer 1st Class.

Not long after leaving the Navy, John married his wife of 62 years, Nancy Mae Fugitt in Sikeston, Missouri. Together they moved to California, settling in Pomona to raise their son Douglas and John’s stepson, Fred Long.

John took up a career as a steamfitter for the County of Los Angeles during the development boom of the 1950’s and retired in 1992

As the boys became men and had families of their own, many family gatherings would be held at the Pomona home. John would be manning the barbecue, turning a simple cut of meat into a family tradition.

John had a love for boating. He spent a lot of his free time fishing and working on his boat “Plan Bee” in Long Beach, California. John was also a prominent member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary District Eleven for 19 years. He would serve along the southern California coast and one weekend a month at Lake Perris during his tenure.

When he was finally ready to completely retire, John and Nancy moved to Yucaipa, California in 2001. There he spent his golden years frequenting Mountain Lakes Camp resort for weeks at a time and enjoyed two of his favorite things, camping and fishing. He was also no stranger to weekly neighborhood poker nights at the Yucaipa Land Yacht Harbor.

After the passings of his stepson (2004), his beloved wife (2011), and his son (2013), John moved with family to Jurupa Valley, California in 2015.

The last of his siblings to pass, John is survived by his daughter-in-law, five grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Though he is no longer with us he will never be forgotten.