Howard Richard Trickey

On October 22, 2018, Howard R. Trickey passed away at age 93. He spent the last few weeks enjoying the company and visits of his wife, children, grandchildren and family members. He passed peacefully with his son and daughter by his side and with the compassionate support of hospice. He was a World War II veteran, a broadcaster, artist and sports fan. He spent 72 years married to the love of his life, Valerine M. Trickey. Before passing, he told her with a smile on his face that he “loved her every day” they spent together.

Born on January 8, 1925, Howard was raised in the village of Knapp, Wisconsin. He graduated from the Knapp School in 1941 with his life long friend Jack Ubel and future sister in law Patricia Frazier. Howard attended Menomonie High School, graduating early when he enlisted in the Army to serve in World War II.

In 1943, Howard joined the Army to begin his service. Howard took basic training in California and Hawaii before being assigned to the 27th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop of the 27th Infantry Division. He was a Tec 4 (Sargent) Radio Operator. He served in the Pacific Theater, participating in landings at Okinawa, Saipan, Tinian and more. Like many WWII vets, he did not talk about his combat experiences until years later. He could not explain his good luck when others were wounded and enemy rounds missed him. Shortly after the Armistice was signed, he landed on the main Island of Japan to assist with the occupation. He held a vivid image for the remainder of his life of walking down a main street of Tokyo just ten days after the Armistice. He described the Japanese as polite, and accepting the outcome, and wanting peace.

Like many WWII veterans, Howard attended college on the GI Bill. Howard graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1952 with a B.S. After working for General Mills, Howard attended the Brown Broadcasting School in Minneapolis to get licensed and training in radio broadcasting. He had secretly harbored an interest in being a radio broadcaster from childhood but thought such a goal was foolish for someone from a small Wisconsin village. After graduating from Brown, Howard launched a career in broadcasting that he pursued for more than 50 years.

Early in his live radio and television broadcasting career, Howard decided to be different. As the weatherman for WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin he pioneered a unique blend of humor, cartooning, and public service. While delivering the weather forecast, Howard drew cartoons with charcoal, delivered a joke, and promoted a local non-profit by wearing zany hats sent in by listeners. His drawings featured “Luke Back”, a character who looked back at weather records, and “Veep”, the vice president in charge of inclement weather. He capped off the show with a visit from “A Walk Up the Creek”, a stuffed bird with a witticism about the long range forecast. The love of his life, Val, assisted the show’s success byfinding the daily joke or witticism that the “Walk Up The Creek” delivered. At one point, Val has amassed thousands of jokes. Howard’s weather show garnered a big audience in northwestern Wisconsin. The weather show reflected Howard’s fine sense of humor and natural story telling ability. He often quipped, “Don’t knock the weather, because nine tenth’s of us could not start a conversation without it.”

After a few short years in live broadcasting, Howard’s character and popularity paved the way to new challenges in sales, sales management and senior management. In 1968, Howard moved to Tampa/St. Petersburg to launch WTOG-TV for Hubbard Broadcasting. With the support of Hubbard Broadcasting, he literally built the station from the ground up. WTOG-TV did not have a network affiliation at the time and had to arrange for all its own programing. Under Howard’s leadership, the station grew to become a programing and financial success.

Howard always said he had a Guardian Angel. In 1984, Howard met Hank Ash. They launched a business together based on a handshake, Howard trusted and respected Hank. And Hank saw the same in Howard. The result of this uncommon respect was the formation of Petracom Media. The company’s initial intent was to acquire distressed radio and television stations in mid-sized media markets around the country. Over the course of 11 years, Petracom acquired stations in eight markets, including Rockford, Illinois; Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia, Springfield and Joplin, Missouri; Lubbock, Beaumont and Texarcana, Texas; Evansville, Indiana and Show Low, Arizona. Based on his experience in sales and management, Howard had developed a formula for improving stations operations, ratings, and sales to bring stations back to programming and financial success.

In 2013, Howard’s nephew, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel David Horwitz served as guardian for his uncle to participate in an Honor Flight to Washington, DC. The event also included a recognition ceremony at the WWII Memorial. Howard loved reading the letters from students and family welcoming him home from the War. Even though the appreciation had been deferred, he felt that the Honor Flights did a remarkable job recognizing the service and sacrifice his generation made to protect the countries freedoms.

Howard enjoyed following and participating in sports. As a native Wisconsinite he rooted for the Green Bay Packers during the Lombardi years. He spent two years at WLUK-TV in Green Bay and personally met many of the Packers of that era, including Lombardi, Starr, Davis and Kramer. He admired Lombardi’s leadership style and emulated it in his own business-style. He attended, with his son, the famous “Ice Bowl Game” and endured the negative 38 degrees to see his team pull off the win in the final drive. In 1994, Howard, his son, and grandson attended the first Wisconsin Badger win in a Rose Bowl Game. After moving to Florida in 1968, he took up golfing and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Invited by CBS Sports, he attended The Masters with his friend and partner Hank Ash. The two of them also played at St. Andrews in Scotland and were invited by Fox Sports to attend two Super Bowl Games, including the Packer win over New England in New Orleans.

Howard failed at retirement and continued broadcast consulting into his 80’s. In his version of retirement, he took up painting. He always had a creative and artistic side to his life. As a struggling college student, he painted Christmas and Holiday Greetings on the display windows for local merchants. With more time to pursue art, he painted in the style of abstract impressionism. He entered one of his paintings in a juried award show and won. He placed another painting in a Gallery and sold the painting after only a few days. He produced more than 30 paintings during retirement. Each of his children and grandchildren has one of his original paintings to remember him by. Howard also drew and captioned political cartoons that he shared with his friends hoping to poke fun at their political views. He enjoyed teaching his great grandchildren how to draw, the basics of cartooning, and some painting, too.

The family celebrated Howard’s 90th birthday four years ago on Captiva Island. As a family fun activity, everyone present was asked to write down some family values. Indicative of Howard’s sense of humor, he wrote “develop close friendships with at least seven people, they will make great pallbearers.” He instilled in his family the need to work hard, never give up, do your job well and not to take yourself too seriously.

Howard is survived by his wife of 72 years, Valerine M. Trickey. They met the first day he returned home after the war in Knapp, Wisconsin. Val was helping Howard’s mother in her home when Howard burst in to surprise his Mom. The surprise turned into a life-long marriage to Val. Val’s family lived across the street. Val had packed K-rations during the war. Howard is also survived by his two children, Howard Stanley Trickey and Colleen Trickey-Bergquist. Howard Stanley Trickey is a partner at Holland & Knight. Colleen Trickey Bergquist is Co-founder of Trickey Jennus, a Tampa, Florida advertising agency.

Howard S. Trickey and his wife Kenna Sue live in Denver. Colleen resides in St. Petersburg. Howard Richard Trickey is also survived by three grandchildren, Maureen Mueller and husband Jeff of Boca Raton; Brendan Trickey and wife Emily of Seattle; Nicole Baruth and husband Brendan of Denver. His great-grandchildren are Aidan and Evan Baruth of Denver and Sloane and Jack Mueller of Boca Raton.

A memorial for family and friends to celebrate Howard’s life will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 9, 2018 at Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home.

Arrangements were made under the direction of Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7950 131st Street, Seminole, Florida 33776 / 727-391-0121