Robert L. Howard, 71

On July 7, 2012, Bob gave up his fight with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Bob was born on Feb. 13, 1941, in Kalispell, to Robert W. and Eunice McMahan Howard. He graduated elementary school from the rural schoolhouse at Birch Grove, and high school in 1959 from Flathead County High School in Kalispell. He attended Montana State University (now University of Montana) and one quarter short of his degree in forestry switched majors, graduating in 1969 with his bachelor's degree in wildlife management.

He met his future wife, Faith Baldwin, in May 1958 and they were married in Kalispell on June 16, 1962. His children are Janeille and Brett Howard. On New Year's Day of Brett’s junior year, a friend of Brett’s, Chuck Dzluk, joined the family and became Bob's second son.

Bob worked the summers of 1962 and 1963 for the U.S. Forest Service, Hungry Horse Ranger District. In 1964, he was on the Trapper Creek Hotshot Crew out of Darby. The next three summers he was a smokejumper stationed out of Missoula. He fit in a year as a warden. He also worked at the Ernst store while it was open and retired from Ziggy’s Building Center.

Bob was the outdoorsman/mountain man that you read about and some wish they were. Fishing, trapping, hunting, sapphire digging, picking over 1,000 pounds of huckleberries and trying to see every hidden corner in Montana were the fabric of his life, which he brought others into.

In 1991, 1993 and 1999, the lifelong dream of being in New Zealand fly fishing for those "big" ones was realized. Photography and "coin shooting" with his metal detectors also got him outside. He also took an unexpected fishing trip in Scotland with his son, who was posted in England by the Navy.

Bob did not join many organizations, but he did serve as the second president of the Montana Trappers Association, was on the board of Crimestoppers in its fledgling years and helped start Montana Furbearer Conservation Alliance. He was also a member of Glacier Camera Club.

One of his joys resulting from shift work was working with the young school friends of his kids, giving class demonstrations on the ways of the outdoors. The kids still talk about his demonstrations of traps ... and how he would stick his hands in the small leg trap.

Bob is survived by his father, Robert W. Howard, at The Springs in Whitefish; his sister, Marilyn Edwards, of Meridian, Idaho; his wife, Faith, at the family home in Martin City; his daughter, Janeille Howard, and her two sons, Bryan and Kalyb, of Kalispell; his son, Brett Howard, and wife, Mandy, and their three children, Malyssa, Bethany and Marcus, of Columbia Falls; Malyssa’s daughter, Alessandra, is his great-grandchild; Chuck and his wife Kelly, his daughter Breann, and sons Alex, Sean and Cody. Bob has an extended family of uncle, aunts, cousins and lifelong friends scattered around the country.

Bob requested cremation. There will be an informal gathering of family and friends at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at 333 First Ave. S., Martin City, to share stories and memories of Bob. It will be potluck, so feel free to bring your chairs, favorite dish and be prepared to share your favorite story of our friend, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.