John Howlett III
courtesy photo
John Howlett III
ARLEE — John Patrick Howlett III, 66, died of Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis on Saturday, April 6, 2019, in St. Ignatius, surrounded by family. He was born Nov. 25, 1952, in Crookston, Minnesota, to John and Bernadette (Baril) Howlett Jr. He grew up in Fisher, Minnesota, graduating in 1970. He graduated from Thief River Falls Technical College where he met and married Marjorie (Brewster) in 1975 and had two children, eventually settling in Missoula, where he worked as a mechanic at Peterbilt and then Kenworth. John later married Renee (Burnett) on Aug. 1, 1987, in Arlee, and they were sealed in the Seattle Temple in 1989. In 1988, they relocated to Centralia, Washington, where he worked at Culligan Water and then Chehalis Plumbing. Good friends and memories were made, but once they were empty nesters, they returned home to Montana. Shortly thereafter, John and Renee moved to Pt. Barrow, Alaska, where he taught plumbing, carpentry, welding and “whatever else they threw at him” at Ilisagvik College, until his retirement in 2013.
John will be remembered as the friend and family member who could fix or build anything, always found in his shop, on his 4-wheeler or in the mountains with that infectious smile of his.
He was preceded in death by his parents. He is remembered with love by his wife, Renee; his daughter, Sonya (Stephen) Abu; his son, John (Alyson) Howlett; his eight grandchildren; and his sisters, Barbara (Kenneth) Hansen and Susan Howlett, and his nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in St. Ignatius on Saturday, April 20, at noon, with burial at the Pleasant View Cemetery. Viewing will be at the Foster Funeral Home on Friday, April 19, from 5-8 p.m. Condolences for the family may be left at: www.fosterfhandcrematory.com.
