Final Salute

ORFORDVILLE – Lynn A. Howard passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 9, 2023, in his home, with his family, following a brief illness. He’s now safe in the arms of Jesus!

Lynn was born on Oct. 28, 1935, to Albert and Irma (Yater) Howard in Benton, Mich. He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1953. Because he was of draft age, no one wanted to hire him out of high school, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After his basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., he spent two months in Yokohama, Japan, before first being sent to Pusan, Korea, and then to Inchon where he spent a year and a half. After returning to the states, he married his high school sweetheart, Donna J. McNees, on Oct. 2, 1955. He finished out his enlistment time serving with the U.S. Navy Seabees in Fort Polk, La. Their first child, Nancy, was born one week after he returned home to Michigan.

His career path after the military began with working as a Telephone Lineman for Michigan Bell Telephone where he worked for seven years. During that time, they added two sons, Jim and Bob. Work in Michigan started to slow down, but his brother told him there was lots of work to be had in Wisconsin, so he moved his family to Cambridge, Wis., in 1964. He worked for Wisconsin Telephone Company for the next 35 years, at which time he retired and began his own communications company, Howard Communication (How-Com). He subcontracted work to various phone companies, as well as other customers for another nine years before finally retiring for good.

Lynn loved the Lord! While living in Cambridge, they attended the Willerup Methodist Church. Over the years, he devoted countless hours to serving. He was an Awana leader for many years. He was also a Deacon at Christ the King Church in Stoughton.

Lynn and Donna loved to travel. They went to Europe for their 25th anniversary and Hawaii for their 50th. Overall, they visited all 50 states and 18 foreign countries.

Lynn was introduced to hunting at age 12 and quickly fell in love with it. He had the good fortune to be able to hunt in nine states plus Canada. He taught his kids how to safely handle guns and taught Hunter’s Safety to young people for several years.

After the kids graduated from high school, they moved to Stoughton where they lived from 1978 until 2003. Following a two-year RV traveling experience, they moved to Orfordville in 2005.

Lynn loved gardening and raised flowers, berry bushes and fruit trees. Over time he found he needed something more to fill his days, so he volunteered to be a driver for the DAV (Disabled American Veterans). He drove for them for six years and then started driving for RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program). He loved meeting the people he drove for.

Lynn is survived by his loving wife, Donna; daughter, Nancy (Bob) Millar; sons, Jim (Cindy) Howard and

Robert Howard; five grandsons, Jason (Sara) Millar, Daniel (Quinn) Millar, Matthew (TaLarrya) Millar, Grayson Howard and Jonathan Howard; four great-grandchildren, Audrey and Tyson Millar, and Sloane and Jase Millar; two sisters, Judith Herman and Betty (Tom) Mueller; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Irma (Yater) Howard; brother, Glenn Howard; and sister, Barbara Flagel.

A funeral service will be held at GUNDERSON STOUGHTON FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 1358 Highway 51 N. @ Jackson St., Stoughton, at 12 noon on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Burial will be held at Riverside Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Wednesday.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Rock County Chapter 14, 3900 N. Harmony Town Hall Road, Janesville, WI 53546. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Stoughton

Funeral & Cremation Care

1358 Highway 51 N. @ Jackson St.

(608) 831-6761