Radphord "Leon" Howard 9/13/42-9/25/26 born Pryor, OK to Radphord (Big Rad) & Maxine E. Howard. The family was mostly sharecroppers but moved to Richland to help build the top-secret Hanford Engineering Works. The family moved from Richland to West Richland around 1952. Leon graduated from Col High in 1960 then signed up for a 3yr "Kiddie Cruise" in the Navy at 17 where he was the engineer for ship freshwater and landing craft. He left active-duty 8/63. Leon did mostly sales KALE 960 and a short-lived advertising agency before become a nuclear security officer for 27 years but still had the time to found Guns N' Things with his brother Cecil. Leon enjoyed shooting, hunting & fishing with his son & grandson.

Diana & Leon were almost always together. From the early days they mixed business and pleasure. American Campgrounds, ceramics, needlepoint, Amway and gold panning to name a few. Always opening their house to friends, family & strangers. Everyone was welcome! Taught their kids and grandkids to treat everyone with respect and honesty. They enjoyed their cross-country trips, to snow birding in AZ, to an Alaskan Cruise to meeting friends and family in Vegas on a regular basis.

From Leon's prolific letter writing that had Diana tell him to retire early so he didn't get himself fired at the end of his career so that Diana's desire to play Pai Gow Poker and the slots wouldn't go unfulfilled in retirement.

Diana & Leon were only 2 months short of their 63rd wedding anniversary when tragedy struck. As in life, they were able to go together.

They were preceded in death by their parents Rad & Maxine Howard, Jay & Becky Stearns, brother Cecil Howard, sister Donna (Stearns) Snyder and daughter Robin Haight.

They are survived by son Rad Howard, grandkids Geoff (Beth) Howard, Megan Kadinger, William Haight, great-grandkids Sam, Emily, Damien and sister Marti (Gary) Morris.