Howard Wayne Felger

HOWARD WAYNE FELGER was born in Arvada, Colorado on November 29, 1934 but most of his childhood was spent in San Jose, California. In high school “Howie” excelled in athletics playing both varsity baseball and basketball. His attendance at San Jose State University was cut short when he enrolled in the US Marine Corp toward the end of the Korean War. Moving up the ranks to Sergeant he served most of his time as a sharpshooter stationed in Okinawa, Japan. At 20 years old, while overseas, he was devastated by the loss of his mother, Ida Elizabeth. It was during Howard’s final year of his military service when stationed at Camp Pendleton near Oceanside that he met Josephine LaGumina on a blind date. Letters and weekly drives up to Los Angeles culminated in their marriage on April 18, 1959. Soon to arrive were his two daughters, Teresa Rose in June 1960 and Sharel Ann in March 1963.

Howard had dreams of becoming a radio announcer but after a promising offer fell through he took a job with Airborne Freight Corp. In the late 1960’s, he and 3 brothers joined together to start their own freight delivery company, Clark’s Delivery, located near LAX. During this time Howard developed a love for the game of golf and took home several trophies from many amateur tournaments.

In the 1970's Howard & Jo became involved in health and wellness and worked together building a Shaklee home based business. At the same time Howard’s interest in photography led him to build his own dark room in a spare bedroom closet. His photos were so good that a local photography shop contracted him to develop prints for them.

After Howard’s trucking company closed its doors in the mid-1980’s he accepted the Routing Manager position with Leprino Foods. It was after he retired from this job that he discovered woodworking and built his own garage workshop. Using a variety of natural wood species he created beautifully handcrafted inlaid pieces; from candle holders, cutting boards, and jewelry boxes to furniture pieces and complete bedroom sets.

In 1992, Howard proudly welcomed his only grandson, Tyler Kenneth. A devoted animal lover, he shared a special bond with his dog, Shorty, who remained by his side until 2019.

When maxillary sinus cancer struck in 2021, Howard went through a long, grueling reconstructive surgery and fought to regain his health, outliving the prognosis of doctors. He maintained a special diet, went to the gym 3 days a week, made 1000 piece puzzles and loved to play ‘chicken foot’ with the family until he was put on hospice at the start of 2025. In May, he got to meet his two month-old, great-grandson, Felix Alexander, which put a big smile on his face!

In his last months, at 90 years of age, Howard continued to rally, always hoping to regain his “pizzazz”! Never giving up, he was true to every Marine’s motto -

“Semper Fi” – always faithfully committed to success, facing every battle with courage.

Although Howard lost his battle with cancer he won a place in heaven on June 20, 2025.