William "Bill" Howard

William “Bill” Howard, 89, of Des Moines, passed away March 16, 2025. With very brief exceptions, Bill lived his entire life on the east side of Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. He graduated from East High School and received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1958. Bill married his beloved wife, Phyllis Jane Brown, on December 29, 1956, at Carbondale Evangelical Free Church, where they met as youth leaders.

Bill was a dedicated and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Bill and his father, Clyde, designed and built the family’s longtime home in Pleasant Hill. After college, Bill worked at General Filter in Ames as a Production Engineer, retiring after 37 years of service.

Throughout his life, Bill was actively involved in his faith and church communities. He was a member of Carbondale Evangelical Free Church, Grandview Park Baptist Church for over 20 years, where he served as Trustee, and most recently, Fellowship Baptist Church for over 30 years. Among all their church commitments, Bill and Phyllis especially enjoyed serving together in the nursery.

Bill’s hobbies and interests were varied. He enjoyed camping and taking car trips across the American West for family vacations. Once the children were grown, he and Phyllis continued to travel, enjoying many trips together. Bill also found great joy in spending time at what he affectionately called the “resort” in Bemidji, MN—where many happy memories were made. He loved collecting rocks, oil painting, and researching genealogy, which provided him with endless fascination. Bill was also an avid ham radio enthusiast, with his call sign WB0EQT, connecting with others through his passion for radio communication.

In 1985, Bill and Phyllis bought an acreage, where they planted trees and cared for the land, finding much joy in their work there.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Phyllis; children, Steve (Mary) Howard of Gainesville, FL, Sue (Mike) Bush of Des Moines, IA, Chris (Melinda) Howard of Columbus, MS, and Jonathan (Mike) Howard of Larkspur, CA.; grandchildren, Adrian (Drew) Stinson, Lauren (Cody) Wilson, Courtney (Chrissy) Mathews, Morgan (Klancey) Bush, Laura (Josh) Dykstra, and Thomas Howard; and great-grandchildren, Mary Anderson, Julianna Stinson, Mia Wilson, Teddy Bush, Luke Dykstra, and Grace Dykstra.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Ludeema Howard; stillborn older brother; and grandson, Luke Bush.

A visitation will be held on Monday, March 24, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church, 1503 SE 6th Street, Des Moines, Iowa. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., also at the church. The service will be livestreamed at the Fellowship Baptist YouTube channel. Bill will be laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to Fellowship Baptist Church in loving memory of Bill.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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