Howard Horton

Howard Horton passed away on 24 Oct 2025 at home with his family in Missoula, MT after a battle with cancer at the age of 92.

Howard was born in 1932 as the third child of John Raymond “Ray” Horton and Lenora Horton in Forsyth, Montana. When he was four years old, the family moved to a ranch in Fishtail, Montana, where he grew up with his older siblings Marge and Raymond.

The kids walked 1 ½ miles to attend a one room school house through 8th grade. At times the snow was so deep they had to use a horse to wade through it.

A teacher inspired him to attend college after high school. He started at Eastern Montana College in Billings, then moved to Missoula to major in Spanish.

At the University, he met and married Barbara Lytle who was part of their square dancing group. They started on their life adventures of renovating property and travel, including a school year spent teaching English in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and the moving of the Gibson Mansion to its present location, saving it from demolition.

He greatly enjoyed music, singing in the church choir, the Missoula Mendelssohn Club, and the Rocky Mountainaires Men's Chorus. He also enjoyed Friendship Force, and was a long-time member of Lion’s Club.

His wife Barbara was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2004 and passed away in 2005.

He later met Bernadette leLong in Paris through mutual friends, and they married in 2007. They both enjoyed travel including Germany, Latin America, China, and Africa, living sometimes in Missoula, Paris, and Hawaii.

Howard was active his whole life and was a runner into his 60s. He was an avid table tennis player, along with his wife Bernadette, and was still playing into his 90s. He even walked nonstop to the M with his grandchildren at 89 years of age.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Barbara, his brother Raymond, and his sister Marge. He is survived by his wife Bernadette; children, Susan, Harley (Amy), and Warren (Karla); his grandchildren, Melia, Lena, and Max; his nephews, Ed, Randy, Kevin, Gregg, Doug, John, and Richard; nieces, Heidi and Tammy.

A Celebration of Life will be held at First Christian Church in Missoula, on November 8, 2025 at 2pm.