Born July 26, 1914, in Homer Nebraska to Elmer Shook and Laura Cain Shook, Howard was one of nine children who grew up in the Eastern Nebraska farm country. He graduated from South Sioux City High School in 1933 and worked on a vegetable farm before hitching a ride on a freight train with a buddy out to California and Oregon working in the fruit harvest and in packing plants in The Dalles, Oregon. He then returned to South Sioux City taking a job driving truck delivering dry goods and produce throughout Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. It was during these years that he met a pretty young gal named Loretta Hanson and they were married on August 30th, 1938, sharing sixty two years together. In 1942 Howard moved to Portland, Oregon, where he was employed in the ship yards until the war ended in 1945 and then worked various jobs until moving to Kennewick in 1947 to work on the Hanford reservation. He retired in 1980 and at the time of his death still proudly retained his affiliation with Local 348 of the Laborers Union with over fifty years of membership. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Laura Shook, wife Loretta, and seven brothers and sisters. He is survived by his older brother Manley of Spanaway, WA., sons Paul and wife Caroline of Bellevue, WA., Jim of Camano Island, WA., Lee and wife Gwen of Spokane, WA., Lynn and wife Dana of Kennewick, WA., daughter Ann Purcell and husband Pat of Glendale, AZ., fifteen grandchildren and eleven great grand children. We are all very grateful for the wonderful friends and staff we came to know so well at Tranquility Manor and want to thank them for their kindness and help this past year. Viewing will be from at Mueller?s Tri-Cities Funeral Home 1401 S. Union, Kennewick, 5:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Friday, Sept. 7th followed by a Rosary. Funeral services will be held Saturday Sept. 8, 2007, 2:00 PM, at Saint Joseph?s Catholic Church, 520 So. Garfield, Kennewick, WA, followed by burial at Desert Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers the family would ask that donations be given to Hospice at the Chaplaincy, 2108 W. Entiat Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336.