Howard, 78, of Sweet Home, Oregon, died July 3, 2013. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1956 with honors in Forestry. On his return to Missouri after his rookie year at McCall 1953, he was badly injured in a car accident that ended his jumping days.

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Howard worked for the USFS and then for the private forestry sector. He was well known in the Northwest timber industry. Howard died after an extended battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.