Lorne Howe, 61

“Just passing through.”

Our beloved, beautiful husband, daddy, brother, best friend, and papa, Lorne Howe, passed through on April 5, 2018 surrounded by his loved ones.

Lorne met his soulmate and forever sweetheart, Terry Voetberg, in the early August summer of 1975. Three days later, knowing a good thing when he saw one and never the man to miss an opportunity, he proposed. Three weeks later, Lorne and Terry Howe began their marriage of 42 years. Together, they welcomed four beautiful daughters and 10 grandchildren into this world and cherished every abundant moment with them. He never sacrificed a moment to love family, tell a good joke and share lessons with his daughters and grandkids.

He enjoyed old cars, car show parades, garage-front conversation, man caves, practical jokes, cooking, collecting antiques, using his hands to craft personalized mementos for friends and family, ol’ time rock and roll, Johnny Cash and, of course, tall tales. Though he enjoyed all of those, he cherished and loved family most. He loved shooting the breeze with his son-in-laws. He loved chatting on the phone with brothers and sisters. He loved holding his daughters’ hands and boasting of their accomplishments, big and small. He loved teaching his grandchildren some of life’s most important lessons: spotting a good deal, recognizing a cheat, importance of hard work, taking life easy and sellin’ front lawn lemonade on a hot, July afternoon. And most of all, he adored his beloved soulmate, Terry — gardening beside her, holding her nightly, whispering sweet nothings and reminding her of the prize she was by flirting with her relentlessly.

Lorne touched more lives than the average man. People from all around flooded to his side in his moments of need. He laughed with ease. He cared unconditionally. He provided faithfully. He welcomed openly. He prized quality time. Most of all, he loved with an open heart, and he loved hard, damn hard.

Hunny, Daddy, Papa, Pops, we will miss you until we meet again in Heaven. The sun shines a little less with your absence. We wish you were still “just passing through,” but we thank God knowing it’s not goodbye; it’s, “See you soon.” Thank you for teaching us kindness. Thank you for teaching us family. Thank you for teaching us love.

Services for Lorne will be held on Saturday, April 14, at 11 a.m. at the Columbia Falls Mortuary. Attire will be Authentic Lorne, red flannels and jeans. Following services, the reception will begin at 2 p.m. at the upstairs of Brannigan’s in downtown Kalispell. Columbia Mortuary is caring for the family.