Denver Allen Howard, 80, of Yuma, Arizona passed away to be with the Lord on April 25th, 2024.

He was born on August 24th, 1943. He spent his childhood years in Sabina, Ohio, and his teen years in Indianapolis, Indiana where he attended Southport High School.  In the early 60's, his family moved to Southern California.  As a young adult, he earned his high school diploma from Hollywood High School.

At 24 years old, Denver was drafted into the U.S. Army.  He served in combat in Vietnam where he earned a Bronze Star Medal for valor.  Following his military service, he drove a city bus for Los Angeles for almost 10 years.  In 1975, he married Linda Tubbs.  In 1977, their daughter, Irene, was born, and they enjoyed a few years of mountain living in Frazier Park, California.  The Howards moved to Lake Elsinore, California where, for almost 10 years, he drove a city bus for Lake Elsinore Transit System which eventually merged with Riverside Transit Agency.  He was a friendly bus driver who would occasionally take the bus off the route to drop off a disabled person closer to their home.

In 1992, he became a caretaker of the former Elsinore Naval Military School grounds where his family had already been living for almost 10 years.  He would gladly give complimentary tours of the historic building to anyone who inquired about it.  He, Linda, and Irene enjoyed living at that unique lakefront property until 2002.  Then Denver spent a couple years in his beloved Incline Village, Nevada near Lake Tahoe where he worked at the famous Ponderosa.  In 2007, he moved in with his daughter and her Marine husband Stephen Foster.  Denver lived the remaining 16 years of his life with them and his two grandsons Nathan and Joel.

Denver was often generous to those who were needy.  He had an endless repertoire of clean jokes and a memorable laugh.  He was an animal lover who would even relocate an insect rather than kill it.  His one-eyed cat, Whitey, whom he rescued, adored him and rarely left his presence.  He could fry up the most delicious breakfast potatoes with lots of butter.  His favorite activities were watching westerns and comedies, feeding the household cats and dogs, listening to music in the evenings, and, in his younger years, reading the Bible and newspapers.

Denver Howard is survived by his wife, Linda Howard; his daughter, Irene Foster; his son-in-law Stephen Foster; his grandsons, Nathan Foster and Joel Foster; and his brothers John Howard of Laguna Nigel, California and Paul Howard of Willits, California. He is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Ashmore Clark, and his brothers, Charlie Howard and Roy Howard.

In lieu of any flowers or gifts, the family asks that you just do something kind for an animal.