Harold Russell Horner

Harold Russell Horner went to be with his Heavenly Father on April 30, 2026 with his family by his side. He was 92 years old. Harold was preceded in death by his father Melvin, mother and stepfather Mary and Grover Lake, brother Don and sister Mary Walker. He is survived by the love of his life Gloria Benneche Horner, daughters Kathy (Dale) Kositzke, Tammie Spiker and Linda Underwood, sister Carol (Rich) Peterson, grandchildren Shawn Hughey, Trevor Underwood, and Jennifer Spiker, great-grandsons Joshua Bollinger, Walker Hughey, and Alex Hughey, and great-great-granddaughter Willow Hughey.

Harold was born March 12, 1934 in Mott, North Dakota moving shortly after to Red Bluff, California where he spent his childhood and graduated from Red Bluff High School. After high school Harold joined the United States (US) Navy serving from 1951 to 1955; stationed on the USS Stockham destroyer off Okinawa, Japan during the Korean War. After active duty, he served in the US Navy Reserve and later the US Army Reserve until retiring in 1994 after 40 years at the age of 60.

Out of the service, Harold moved to Redding, California where he met Gloria and they married on August 24, 1957. They were married for 68 years.

He enjoyed sports, played football in high school and later played handball, racquetball, and had a love/hate relationship with golf. He also spent time with his buddies hunting and fishing.

He worked for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Wilshire gas station, was a life insurance agent for Prudential Insurance Company and Northern California Insurance Company where he retired in 2004.

Harold became a member of the Redding Elks Lodge #1073 in 1969 and a lifetime member in 1999. He went through all 7 chairs as an officer and was Exalted Ruler twice. He pioneered the monthly rib and chicken dinner in 2010 and it continues to this day. They were members of the Redding Elks Traildusters RV Club.

Harold loved his vegetable garden and grew an abundance of the best tomatoes. He and Gloria enjoyed traveling around the Northwest in their fifth wheel trailer and made several cross-country trips as well as to Canada and Mexico. Every summer the Horner, Stanley, and McCoach families (8 girls, no boys) went on a family camping trip that started at Buckhorn Lake (no electrical or water) and moved to Brookings, Oregon that continued for over 50 years.

If Harold is remembered for one thing, it would be that he was a faithful San Francisco 49ers football fan and season ticket holder for 42 years. On Sundays, he and Gloria would make the 4-hr drive to cheer on their team, and attended 3 Super Bowls.

Services will be held June 19, 2026 @ 9:30am in the Memorial Building at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery, 11800 Gas Point Road, Igo, CA. A Celebration of Life will follow @ 11:30am at the Redding Elks Lodge, 250 Elk Drive.