Howard S Neilson

Howard Stout Neilson, of Colleyville Texas, passed away on June 18, 2026 at the age of 89. He will be remembered as a loving father, friend, and neighbor. Howard was born in New York, New York on May 7, 1937 to Wallace and Nancy Neilson. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York shearing sheep and showing his prize winning cows.

Howard joined the military out of high school and was honorably discharged in 1966 as a reservist. He attended college at Cornell University majoring in business. He went on to work mostly in the food industry including Good Humor, General Mills, Jewel T, and Texas T grocery.

Howard married his wife, Shirley Sutkowski, on March 9, 1973 in Indiana. They had 1 daughter in September of 1974. Howard then moved the family to Hurst, TX and later Colleyville, TX after retirement. He played baseball through his army days (including a home run at his last at bat!) and enjoyed watching sports on TV, especially hockey. He had a love of trains and had a model train collection throughout his adult life which entertained both his daughter and the neighborhood children.

Howard was a talented artist and loved to draw in his spare time. Drawing pets and wild animals was his specialty. Howard loved animals and was an avid supporter of wildlife, often adopting animals at the local zoo. Beating cancer in his mid-life also made him an advocate for children undergoing cancer treatments and he was an avid supporter of St. Jude’s Hospital.

Howard is survived by his daughter, Karen Lorenz, her husband, Robert Chris Lorenz, and 4 grandchildren.

The visitation will be held from 12 o’clock noon -1 o’clock p.m. on June 28, 2026 at the funeral home. The Funeral Service will be held at 1 o’clock on June 28, 2026 at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or any zoo/wildlife organization.