Howard Clayton Otis

He was born August 5, 1934, in North Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Leroy “Jake” and Ethel (Newkirk) Otis. Howard graduated from North Kansas City High School with the Class of 1953.

He entered the United States Air Force where he met Emiko Yoshida near Tachikawa Air Force Base and on October 7, 1957, they would marry at the US Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1958 Howard was reassigned to the US; Emiko and Howard would settle in New Mexico to start their family and life together. Emiko and Howard would travel to numerous station assignments before Howard would retire from the Air Force in 1975 and the USPS in 1993; together they would then settle in the Kansas City area where they would continue to raise their family of five. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America with his four sons and an Honorary Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Soon that family of five grew into grandkids and an RV where they did a lot of travel and joined an RV Club (KC Northland Sam). This group enjoyed traveling to the Midwest and beyond and seeing the US sites. He loved fishing and one of his favorite spots was Roaring River State Park, Missouri.

He will be remembered by his family as a loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather who always gave his caring attention to not only his children but to others.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy “Jake” and Ethel Otis; his wife Emiko Otis in 2023; and one brother Raymond Otis.

Howard is survived by his five children, Gerald (Rashelle) Otis, Steven (LeaAnn) Otis, Sandra McLeod, Kenneth (Dawn) Otis, John (Sheila) Otis; eight grandchildren, Emily (Meredith) Loy-Otis, Jane Otis, Hannah (Dakota) Vaughn, Seth Otis, Logan (Dragana) Allenbaugh, Landon Allenbaugh, Dominic (Ariel) Martinez, George Tate, Jake (Aubrey) Jantz, Ethan Otis, and Samantha Otis; three great grandchildren, Jaxson Otis-Ruiz, Vantz Martinez, and Riley Vaughn; two brothers, Leroy Otis and WIlliam Otis; several nieces, nephews, and other extended family from Japan.

A visitation for Howard will be from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri, 64119, with funeral services starting at 2:00 PM. Interment will follow.