Stephen Mark Howard

 

With heavy hearts the family of Steve, age 40, share of his passing in British Columbia on Thursday, May 7th. Born and raised in Sarnia, ON, Steve was living in Coldstream, BC and worked as an Instrumentation Technician for the City of Vernon.

 

Beloved son of Keith & Sue Howard, Lacombe, AB, Steve was the dear brother of Anne & Zach Frantz, Blackfalds, AB, and fun Uncle Steve to Blaze, Alice, Mary & Grace.

Predeceased by his grandparents, Simeon & Carol Martin, St. Jacobs, ON, and George & Dorothy Howard, Sarnia, ON, and cousin Austin Martin, St. Jacobs, ON.

 

Fondly remembered by Aunts and Uncles, Karen (Al) Henkelman, Cheryl (Luch) Carlin, Eric Martin, Paul (Deborah) Martin, Jean Swartzentruber (Merv Andrews), John Martin, and Linda (Harry) Sahagian, and cousins Paul (Shannon) Carlin, Bryan (Erika) Henkelman, James (Kat) Carlin, Craig (Katherine) Henkelman,  Anna Marie (Don) Janzen,  Dan (Kathleen) Swartzentruber, Amanda Swartzentruber (Josh Pang), and Matthew Sahagian. 

 

Anne was best friends with Steve, and was very pleased for the friendship that developed between Zach and Steve. He is sorely missed already.

 

Adventures with Uncle Steve have left his nephew and nieces with ‘thousands’ of wonderful memories. Camping in his backyard with bonfires, hot tub, mud, catching a squirrel, etc. Fishing & boating, hiking, the kangaroo farm, skating, board games, surprise visits, and lots of hugs. His infectious smile was sometimes mischievous, but always well meaning.

 

Steve was a good natured, kind-hearted, caring, sentimental, adventurous soul who loved his family deeply and thoroughly enjoyed nature and the outdoors from a young age. He was a graduate of SCITS, played many years of hockey with the Sarnia Minor Hockey League, and participated in high school football & rugby, AWANA, and the 44 Imperial Squadron Air Cadets.

 

For many years Steve loved to snowboard at Powder King, and in recent years he took up sledding and dirt biking in the Okanagan, Sicamous & Golden areas. We always loved to see the photos of him enjoying life so much. Our family thanks all these “buddies” for their friendship with him, we know he thought very highly of you (too many to list). He was pleased to have recently reconnected with a second cousin, Paul McLeod.

 

Thank you to everyone who has expressed their condolences and shared memories.

 

 

Private family interment. Celebration of Life to be held at a later date.