Howard was born to Selma and Levern Hegarty in Petral, ND on November 23, 1929. His Family grew up on a homesteaded ranch during the dust bowl era and later moved to Minnesota where Howard graduated from Browerville High School. He married Alice (Grewe) on June 30, 1951, while serving in the U.S. Army in Fort Bliss, Texas. They were married for 52 years before her passing in 2003. Howard managed several retail stores throughout his 10-year management career in Aberdeen, S.D.; Dubuque, Iowa; Marshfield, Wisconsin and Grand Forks, N.D. In 1967, Howard began working as a District Representative for Aid Association for Lutherans, now known as Thrivent. He retired at 56 after 20 years in the insurance field to spend time traveling via motor home around the country, fishing and visiting friends and family. Alice and Howard often spent winters in Yuma and in 1994 they made Yuma, AZ their home.
Howard was an active member of Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church holding many church offices. Howard has been credited with relocating his church from downtown Yuma and rebuilding it on its present location in 2006. Howard married Mary Ann Ellison and they enjoyed 10 years together until her passing in 2014. Howard enjoyed playing the keyboard, painting, cards with friends, and was an avid baseball fan. He will be truly missed.
Funeral Services will be on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at 10:00 AM at Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church, 5954 East 38th Street, Yuma, Arizona. Pastor David Fleischmann officiating. Visitation is 9:30 AM proceeding the service. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in Verndale, MN.
He is survived by his daughters, Pauline (James) of St. Louis; Audrey Carlson of Yuma, and son Ronald of Devils Lake, ND; grandchildren Ryan (Christina) Duchscher of Kingsport, TN; Lauren (Nicholas) Ernst, Wayne, IL, and great-granddaughters Avery and Michelle. Surviving are his brother Jerome Hegarty (Sami) of Kingstown, WA; and sister Evelyn Freitag of Duluth, MN.
Howard was proceeded in death by his parents, Selma and Levern; his brothers, Levern Jr., Merwyn (Bud), Cecil, Kenneth, and sisters Nadine and Bernice.
In lieu of flowers, please make any donation to Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church in memory of Howard.
