Gilbert P. Howard

Gilbert Percy Howard was born May 1, 1924, in Freewater, Oregon and left this earthly life on June 27, 2018.

In 1940, he, along with his parents and two brothers, moved from Oregon to Lamoni, Iowa, where he finished high school and attended Graceland College, a two-year junior college at that time. His college career was interrupted by W.W.II, and he joined the Army Air Corps in November 1942.

He married a member of his high school graduating class, Rosabelle Hicks, in May 1943. To this union were born three children: Nancy, Trudy, and Bruce Howard.

After the end of the war, Gilbert returned to college receiving his B.S. degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1949. He returned to his home town to help his father in his plumbing business. Having stayed in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, he was recalled into service during the Korean War. After daughter Trudy was born, Rosabelle and the two little ones joined him in Rapid City, So. Dakota, where he was stationed at the B-36 air force base. After 16 months of duty, he was discharged and returned to Iowa to begin his teaching career.

During the next several years he taught classroom subjects in the high school and junior high as well as coaching high school basketball and junior high sports. He spent four summers at Colorado State College of Education at Greeley, and in 1956 he received his M.A. in school administration.

The West was once again in his blood, and in July 1967 he moved his family to Aurora, Colorado, where he served as an elementary principal for four years and then accepted the position of Assistant Director of Personnel for the Aurora Public Schools. He held this position until he retired in 1985.

He was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and served in that church the remainder of his life.

Gilbert is survived by his wife, Rosabelle Howard; son, Bruce W. Howard; two daughters, Nancy C. (Steve Sprague) Howard and Trudy J. (Larry Myers) Myers; five grandchildren, Megan (Kyle Gasser) Piper, Amber (Chad) Myers, Ross (Sonja) Piper, Hilary (Zach) McNeil, and Brian Howard; and seven great-grandchildren, Brandon Myers, Jori Gasser, Colin Piper, Josie Gasser, Reyna Piper, Ava McNeil, Reese McNeil. He is preceded in death by his father, Percy G. Howard; mother, Esther C. Howard; and brothers, Darrell and Ben.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Compassus or to the charity of one's choice.

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