Howard Harrison

Howard G. Harrison, 72, of Mountain Home, died Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, after a battle with esophageal cancer.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m. at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Inurnment will be held at the Idaho Veterans Cemetery in Boise at a later date.

Howard was born in June 1936 to Glenn and Laura Harrison in Wausau, Wisc.. After graduating from Wausau High School in 1956, Howard enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He met "the love of his life," Sue DeBoer, through the First Presbyterian Church Youth Group. Howard proposed on Christmas Eve and they were married on Aug. 22, 1959.

They began their journey through life stationed in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Howard served a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1964 to 1965 and was awarded the Airman's Medal for Heroism for his actions in the Bien Hoa Air Base raid on May 16, 1965. He returned home to Wausau in October of that year to meet, for the first time, his three-month-old daughter Kay Marie. Twins Tim and Tammy arrived while the family was stationed in Peru, Ind., in 1970, and John joined the family in Mountain Home in 1973.

"Dad's 23-year career took us all over the world and we will always be thankful for a wonderful life full of unique memories," his family said.

After his retirement from the Air Force in 1979, Sue and Howard decided to stay in Mountain Home to raise their family. They both worked for the school for a number of years and he retired again in 2000.

"Howard had the soul of an artist and dabbled in painting, photography, leather, pottery and ceramics many years of his life," his family noted. "As a family, we enjoyed weekends camping and fishing at Fall Creek and skiing at Soldier Mountain. More recently, dad loved taking the boat down to Strike on the hunt for the ever elusive "money fish." Fall weekends were reserved for Boise State and Green Bay Packer football."

He and Sue were volunteers with Meals-On-Wheels and with several youth groups through the years.

"As a grandpa, Howard loved spending time with his three grandchildren and was happy to see the arrival of his great-granddaughter this fall. We are all so proud and thankful to have him in our lives," his family said.

Howard is survived by: his wife, Sue; his children, Kay Harrison, Tammy Mallea, Tim Harrison and John Harrison; his brother, Tom Harrison of Florida; his sister, Pat Guzman of Wisconsin; three grandchildren, one great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Elk's Rehab, 600 Robbins Rd., Boise, ID 83701, or the Mountain Home Meals-On-Wheels program (contact Patty Jones at 587-4562).