Howard William Schlee

4/5/12 – 2-/27-12

Howard peacefully passed away on Monday February 27th, 2012 at Good Samaritan in Yakima Washington. Howard was born to William and Nellie (Ramey) Slaye in St Maries Idaho on April 5, 1912 just 10 days before the Titanic sank “and I didn’t remember a thing”, his signature line…

His family left St Maries at an early age and settled in Lewiston Idaho. After attending school only to the 7th grade, he worked for his father plowing the fields with harnessed horses. His family then moved across the United States to Florida, taking two years, working the entire way. They ended back in the Western States settling in Selah working in the orchards. He married a few times and always blamed his stubborn German ways for “messing up a bit”. He had three children whom he lost contact with.

Howard was a fruit orchardist for 42 years in the Tieton area. He also drove school bus for Tieton and Cowiche, drove trucks for Consolidated and worked for the City of Yakima. He loved writing poems, doing the two-step, square dancing, gardening, especially roses and fishing with his brother Claude. In his later years, he hooked up with Harvey Biladeau and enjoyed his company on many fishing trips. They loved to “borrow” fruit from trees that were just left hanging” on various orchards around the Yakima Valley and would laugh at the thought of being caught. He cared for Harvey until he could not care for himself and finally lost Harvey in 2009.

When he was seventy years old, he adopted Chuck and Karen as his family and for the past thirty years, we enjoyed his wisdom, kindness and jest for life and when Corbin and Roslyn were born, he truly enjoyed being a part of their lives. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, sister’s Betty, Florence, Dorothy and brother Claude. He is proudly survived by Chuck, Karen, Corbin and Roslyn Perrault and other family members. Howard lived independently up until January 30, 2012 at Orchard Park where he had many friends and then moved to Chesterly Meadows. He was a very hard, honest worker and kind person. We would like to thank Chesterly Meadows, Dr. Rana and staff at Central Washington Family Medicine, Dr. Wang, Memorial Hospital, Memorial Hospice and Good Samaritan for the unbelievable compassionate care Howard received.

Keith and Keith Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Graveside services will be held on Friday March 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 p.m., at Terrace Heights Memorial Park.