John Allen Howard

John Allen Howard, 71, of Parker, Colorado, passed away on March 12, 2025, after a brief illness. He was born on September 9, 1953, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Herbert Charles Howard and Ivor Lois (Wetherby) Howard.

John proudly served in the U.S. Army, enlisting in June 1974. He spent much of his service in Okinawa, Japan, where he specialized in intercepting foreign military communications and code. His dedication earned him the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Sharpshooter qualification before his honorable discharge in 1980. While stationed in Okinawa, he became SCUBA certified and developed a lifelong appreciation for Japanese culture, history, and cuisine.

Following his military service, John pursued higher education at the University of Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981. During his time there, he met Dana Lynn Harrod, whom he married on January 10, 1981 and was married to until 1994. John maintained a lifelong friendship with good friends from college, Dan and Ruth. John and Dana moved to Colorado, where John continued his studies at Colorado State University and obtained a Master of Science in Physics in 1984. John and Dana enjoyed camping, hiking and shooting in the Rocky Mountains with friends Pam and Larry.

John dedicated his career to serving his country as a physicist and analyst. He worked for Hughes Aircraft in Aurora, Colorado, continuing with Raytheon after it acquired Hughes in 1997. In 2008, John joined the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), where he remained until his retirement in May 2019.

A passionate student of U.S. history and the Constitution, John was an expert in ballistics, reloading and target shooting. He was a proud NRA Life Member and supported many organizations dedicated to freedom and liberty.

John is survived by his siblings Jane Howard (Carlton Ward) of Clyde, NC, Liz Howard (Roger Schultz) of Waynesville, NC, Luther and Debbie (Lowry) Howard of Leander, TX and Ann Howard (John Dennet) also of Waynesville, NC.

A memorial service for John will be held Tuesday, June 10, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cato Institute, The Institute for Justice, Historic Mount Vernon, or Humane Colorado.

John's words: "Liberty is, in essence, a tough love application of this Christian principle: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."