Howard Leroy Sahl

Born on a dark and stormy night on November 8, 1926 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Harry Sahl and Emma (Christensen) Sahl. He was baptized in the Lutheran Church and lived an uneventful, but happy childhood. For fun, he would go the train depot to watch the steam engine train come into town.

Immediately upon graduating from Northeast High School, and prior to the age of eighteen he enlisted in the US Navy (1944), where he then joined USN fighting forces in the Pacific (Philippines). After WWII, he parlayed his GI Bill into undergraduate (Geology) and graduate degrees (Masters, Science) from the University of Nebraska.

In 1952, Howard was hired by Standard Oil of Indiana (later Amoco) in Wichita, Kansas where subsequently he met Betty Ratzlaff, whom he would later marry in 1955. They were married for 27 years and had three children: Barb, Eric, and Stuart.

In 1986, he retired from Amoco (now British Petroleum (BP)) after 34 years of employment, then volunteering at the US Geological Survey and working as a consultant for Advantage Resources in Denver until near his 70th birthday.

Ten years later, he met Ardith (Evers) Frodin while feigning to dance at the Elks Lodge in Lakewood, Colorado. They were married in 1996, beginning the very best years of his life with Ardie. He and Ardie traveled widely throughout the US and abroad.

Howard was an avid word worker, amateur radio operator (call sign: WB0IWN), science buff, and martini connoisseur. On any given day, at precisely 4pm, you would find him with a vermouth, gin & olive martini in his hand, toasting to his wife, “olive you.”

He is survived by his loving wife Ardie, adoring daughter Barb, devoted son, Eric, doting daughter-in-law Elaine and his two grandchildren Sol and Xeus who loved their Papa Howard very much.

A memorial service for Howard will be held at 11:00 am on Friday July 8, 2022 at Faith Community Lutheran Church 9775 Ute Hwy, Longmont, CO 80504.