J. Howard "Howie" Emery's Obituary
Our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and best friend, J. Howard “Howie” Emery, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, at his home in Sandy, Utah.
Born on November 13, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to John Raymond “Ray” and Helen Knoth Emery, he was the child of a military family and lived abroad in Germany and Viet Nam growing up; his home base was always in northern Utah where he attended Granite High School before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he graduated from Billy Mitchell High School and was offered a full ride art scholarship; however, he chose to move home to Utah with his family. He went on to have a successful career as a Printing Press Operator for many years. He met the love of his life, Shirlene Madsen, while attending a party in Park City, Utah, in 1992, where they experienced an immediate connection and quickly became best friends; they were married on July 2, 1993, and they have lived happily in Sandy, Utah, in the years since.
Howard was known as being a dedicated fisherman who delighted in tying his own flies; he was passionate about spending time exploring, camping, and driving in the great outdoors. He and his wife Shirlene loved to travel to favorite places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier National Parks, and to visit family at the cabin in Samak, Utah. In these places and many more, he took hundreds of beautiful photographs and spent many hours fishing, spending time with loved ones, and simply enjoying nature. He loved having a pet cat at home and had several over the years; he adored spending time petting them, spoiling them, and watching their antics. He greatly appreciated computer technology and was the first person we knew to own Pong, then Atari, and later, a Personal Computer; he was knowledgeable in computer building and repair and was always willing to help friends and family with their computer needs.
He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Shirlene Madsen Emery, her daughter, Denae (Mike) Faulkner, and sons, Clint (Brittany) Hadfield and Shane (Miriam) Hadfield; his daughters, Mindie Marie Emery Green, Cindi Anne (Shane) Payne, Katharine Lauren “Kayte” (Shaun) Brush; brothers, Jerry (Karen) Emery, Alan “Al” (Gayle) Emery, and sister, Judy A. (Mark L.) Brown; 17 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 8 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents John Raymond “Ray” and Helen Knoth Emery; brother, J. James Emery; nephew, Nathan "Nate" Daniel Brown; and granddaughter Shaynell Pamela Payne.
A celebration of life will be held in his honor at 2 PM on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Premier Funeral Services on 67 East 8000 South, Midvale, Utah 84047.
Howard will be remembered for his love of nature and his family; for his great sense of humor, silly dad jokes and exuberant laugh; for his high work ethic and being a hard worker; for his extensive computer savvy; and for his beautiful wildlife & nature photography.
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