Howard was born in Phoenix, Arizona and lived over 75 years in Los Angeles County.
He loved cars, could repair anything, rode horses, flew airplanes out of the Compton airport, built model aircraft, spent years talking over the air on CB radios, drove semi truck, knew every freeway in Southern California, and loved his family above all. His world revolved around his wife Martha, and his five children: Chris, Joyce, Denise, Dorothy and Rosie. The most important event of his life every year was Martha’s tamales on Christmas Eve – and friends and family coming to enjoy them.