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Howard R. Smith, 84

Howard was born Jan. 10, 1933, to parents Harry J. and Lizzie Smith in Richmond, Calif., and passed peacefully with his wife by his side at Hospice House Coeur d’Alene on March 14, 2017, at the age of 84.

He lived all of his childhood in Richmond and in high school met LaFaye Stout and they were married on June 22, 1951. He joined the Navy in 1952 during the Korean War and after his honorable discharge from the Navy he went into law enforcement first in Berkeley, Calif., for six years and then in Sunnyvale, Calif., for 10 years, which included fire protection also. He then went into trucking as a owner-operator for 17 years.

After many years of waterskiing in the California Delta water ways, they decided in 1975 to move to the Delta where their house was right by the water and continued to enjoy boating and Howard especially enjoyed duck hunting on the water and they lived there for 20 years. While living there, Howard became a tool distributor for five years and after Howard retired they moved to Redding, Calif. In 2005, they moved to Post Falls, Idaho, to be close to their daughter.

Howard is survived by his wife of 65 years, LaFaye; daughter Linda Gosline; grandson Jon Gosline and wife Alisha; granddaughter Jessica Gosline and fiance Chad Strode; and five great-grandsons and brother Dale Smith of Fort Worth, Texas. Howard was preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers.