John Lester Howard Sr.

John passed away peacefully on April 16, 2012 in Oceanside, California.

Fondly referred by his family as “Papa J,” he was the son of Lillian and Earl Howard April 14, 1925. He was raised in Downey, CA and later moved to North Park. John served in the Navy during World War II.

After his service in the military, he graduated from Woodbury College as an industrial designer and worked for General Dynamics in San Diego. John had a love for a good time, big band music, and entertaining. He was married in 1953 and was the father of Glenn Howard and John L. Howard Jr.

John relocated to Phoenix, AZ in 1967, where he called home from more than 40 years while working in the printing industry. He caught the eye of his second wife, Cynthia Howard, whom he was happily married to until her passing in September of 2008. While he loved and valued life, John always looked forward to the day that he was with his love again. For the past three years, John has been living with his son in Oceanside, California enjoying the cool weather and the ocean.

John was a well-known prankster, full of humor and wit. Armed with a deluge of stories and jokes, John could crack even the toughest smile.

He enjoyed his family and friends, and recalling the “good ole times.”

John was an avid Hotrod guy who loved to admire the classics. He also loved working with his hands, engineering new projects, and drawing cartoons.

He is survived by his sons, Glenn Howard (Pearl Luciani-Howard, mother of Sarah Luciani and Kyle Luciani) and John L. Howard Jr., and his granddaughter, Taylor Howard.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 10:00 am at Eternal Hills Memorial Chapel in Oceanside, California.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 1:00 pm at Phoenix Memorial Park in Phoenix, Arizona.