Grant Smith Howlett

Grant Smith Howlett KE8YG
Born December 12, 1940 -- Died August 29, 2021
The seventh and youngest child born to Ada Smith and Ernest Golden Howlett in Murray Utah, Grant grew up on a chicken farm in Draper, Utah where he learned to work hard. His interests were varied. He was part of many groups from debate, to stage crew, to radio clubs and even participated in marching band playing the sousaphone. He graduated from Jordan High School and continued his education at BYU. He served an LDS mission to the South German Mission from 1960-1963 then continued school at BYU where he met his eternal companion Patricia Lenore Merrill and they were married in 1964 at the Los Angeles Temple.
The first three of his nine children were born at college in Provo, Utah. After various internships and programs and another child, he accepted a job teaching English as a second language at the Liahona High School in Nukualofa, Tonga in the South Pacific. This took his family around the world and started a pivotal and very memorable time for the family. Two children later, another mission call sent them to Kiribati, or the Gilbert Islands, in the Central Pacific for two years where Grant served as headmaster for the Moroni Community School and another child was born to their family.
After returning to the United States, two more children were born and Grant continued to teach until 1983, this time as a seminary teacher. Then he switched careers, becoming interested in the use of computers to teach languages. In 1988 a job working for the Department of Defense moved them to Columbus Ohio where he settled down for his remaining 33 years.
After retiring from the DOD in 2007, Grant and his wife Pat served three more missions for the LDS Church. Grant’s third mission, was a Family History mission in Frankfurt, Germany. The fourth, they were stationed in Garden City, Kansas for the Colorado Springs mission. The fifth was a service mission in the Columbus Ohio Bishops’ Storehouse for 4 years.
Grant’s life was dedicated to service in his church and community. He served in many leadership roles throughout his life. He also was a leading figure in the Amateur Radio Community where he had an Amateur Radio ‘Extra’ License, the highest possible. He was always busy building things, including large radio towers in all of the yards where he lived. Tinkering on everything from cars to buildings to appliances, he was always fixing things for his family and neighbors.
Grant’s faith was an integral, defining part of him. His belief in Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel was preached to all who knew him, through his example of service and love. He has always been dedicated to his family and worked hard to provide, teach and guide them.
He was diagnosed with Renal Cancer in 2020, and though he is the youngest of seven siblings he precedes them all in death.
He is survived by his wife Patricia Lenore Merrill, children Susan Kaye Howlett Beckstrand, Mark David Howlett, Wayne Paul Howlett, Adam Merrill Howlett, Karen Lenore Howlett Felt, Emma Marie Howlett Oberting, Jacob Elwin Howlett, and Michael Grant Howlett, as well as 33 grandchildren and 4 greatgrandchildren. His eldest son Eric Quinten Howlett and grandson Nathaniel Lowry Howlett preceded him in death and we believe they are having adventures together right now in the eternal realm.