Howard I. Jacobson

– Howard I. Jacobson passed away Friday, Dec. 26, 2014, at the Hillside Manor in Missoula. Howard was born Feb. 10, 1923, in Soochow, China. His parents, Arthur Clarence and Gladys Shepard Jacobson, were in China as a part of a Methodist mission to teach Western accounting principles to the Chinese. They returned to America in 1926. Howard was raised generally in Missoula with exceptions of one year in Seattle and about a year in Polson. Howard proudly remembered that in 1932 he made enough money selling newspapers in downtown Seattle to buy his family their first radio.

Howard attended Roosevelt Elementary School and Missoula County High School (now Hellgate High). He was active in school sports there, playing basketball and track. At one time, Howard held the state record for the one-mile run. He graduated from high school in June 1941 and started college at the University of Montana in September 1941. When World War II broke out, he first relocated to Seattle to take advantage of the new job openings at Boeing. By late 1942, he signed up with the Marine Air Corps to be a pilot. He did his flight training at the facility at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He became a fighter pilot and served in the South Pacific, where he flew 52 combat missions, mostly in the Grumman F4U Corsair (the "Gullwing Fighter"). On occasion, he also flew a Grumman Hellcat. Honorably discharged in late 1945, Howard returned to Missoula and re-enrolled at UM. He met and married Dorothy Jeanne Anderson.

Howard worked at the Palace Hotel while completing college, then got a teaching credential and taught at Alberton School until the summer of 1959.

Howard and Dorothy wasted no time in having children. They came "thick and fast" as Howard once said. First David Arthur, then Howard Randall, Nancy Cynthia, Valerie, Paul Stanley and Carl Philip. By 1959, there were six kids.

In the summer of 1959, Howard packed up the family and moved to Southern California in search of opportunity. In Pomona, California, he was able to buy a good house and secure a teaching job. In Pomona, Dorothy gave birth to Margaret Ann and the twins James Kirk and John Raymond. In Pomona, the family suffered the accidental death of Paul in 1960.

In the summer of 1965 Howard again moved his family from Pomona to Laguna Beach, California, where they lived for 12 years before moving back to Montana.

Howard and Dorothy divorced in 1981, but remained friendly. Howard moved to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, where he was active in the local social scene there, often going to dances. In the Phoenix area, Howard was briefly married to Barbara Bond. Howard would always make summer visits to western Montana.

Howard moved around various places, Redding, California, Albany, Oregon, but eventually resettled permanently in Missoula. Western Montana was his home. Howard became close friends with Sue Land, with whom he had another daughter, Laura, who has remained close to her half-siblings.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Arthur Clarence; his sister, Geneva (Walter) Weeks; his ex-wife, Dorothy Jeanne; and his sons, Paul and David.

Howard is survived by his sons, Howard Randall "Randy," Carl Philip, James Kirk and John Raymond. He is survived by his daughters, Nancy Cynthia (George) Hirschenberger, Margaret Ann Jacobson, Valerie Petersen and Laura Land; close friend, Marlys Macy; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Howard's family is grateful for the support from his extended family and friends and the staff at Hillside Manor, Partners Hospice and Missoula Aging Services.

Howard was interred at the Missoula Cemetery in the veterans area on Dec. 30, 2014. Following his instructions, there was no funeral. Memorial service is currently being planned and scheduled for some time in the spring of 2015.
Read Howard Jacobson's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.