Edward Howard

Edward Howard, 77, of DeSoto, KS passed away December 04, 2023, in the comfort of his own home, from End Stage Congestive Heart Failure & Kidney Failure.

A Memorial Service for Ed will be held Saturday December 16th, 2023, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Cause Coffee, 33180 W. 83rd, DeSoto, KS 66018.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Mr. Howard was born 04-04-1946 in Fresno, CA. We could start with some of Ed’s favorite dates he remembered and loved to celebrate, like our anniversary, the kids’ birthdays, or Christmas. But how do you summarize 77 years of life? What do you include? What do you leave out, as everything is important? How do you explain bad choices that resulted in pain? Or celebrate righteous choices bringing happiness? How do you describe friendships so strong they feel like family, or the pain felt when that friend dies? How do you describe the loss felt when the job you have had for so long becomes a part of how you define who you are, is suddenly gone, wiped away because of a foot injury that takes too long to heal because of your diabetes? Or worse yet, how do you describe the emptiness and loneliness felt when you can no longer participate in your favorite activity that provided a sense of accomplishment when the fish were biting & companionship whether they are biting or not. How do you describe 50 years of marriage to the same person? Facing bad, shameful, things you would rather be forgotten & never mentioned again? Or the wonderous knowledge that love still grows, even in the lean years. How do you describe living with the same person every day or sleeping with the same person every night, and the bond that forms from that lifelong commitment? Ed wouldn’t try to describe it. He would say that he just lived, and he would launch into some fishing tale, or navy story, or story about something our kids or their kids had done. And it may or may not be completely true. He’d talk for hours about exploits with friends. But wouldn’t talk about his failures or things he was ashamed of. He’d pretend they didn’t happen. Because that was Ed – Bigger than life, beating the odds! Always my Ed!

He was preceded in death by his Mother – Ruby Poyner; Father – Bill Howard; Brother – Leroy Howard; Sisters – Milly Wolff & Silvia Poyner; and 2 Grandsons – Cameron Kirchner & Corey Lamar.

Survivors include his Wife – Kathie Howard (Rinehart) of DeSoto; 3 Sons: Eric Howard (Shannon) of Eudora, KS, Jason Howard (Tara) of DeSoto, KS, Stephen Howard of Gardner, KS, 2 Daughters Sheila Reeves (Mike) of Basehor, KS, Missy Howard (Chuck) of Gardner, KS, 16 Grand Children & 12 Great Grandchildren, 5 Sisters: Christine (Freddie) Ortiz, Kathy Harvard, Susie (Billie) Murphy, Judy (Mike), and Mary (Monty) Tideman, 5 Brothers: Sonny (Leona) Poyner, Mike Poyner, Faye Poyner, Ted (Linda) Poyner, and Wayner Poyner.

Memorial contributions are suggested to American Heart Association Donate Here in Memory of Ed & American Kidney Fund Donate Here in Memory of Ed