Howard Brandon Obituary (1944

Howard Brandon, an amazing son, an incredible and supportive husband and father and the hardest working man ever, was born December 2, 1944 to Birdie Brandon at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was raised by a single mom with the help of his grandparents, Lillian and Benjamin Shaw. His mother married Howard’s stepfather, Carl Hayford at age 11. Some of his favorite memories were riding his bike through the avenues, bowling at the Governor’s mansion and picnics up Little Cottonwood Canyon, where his grandma played the harmonica. He quit high school at age 17 to support his family because his stepfather had hurt his back and his mom had a new baby to care for. At age 18, Howard joined the Navy and served 6 years in the Vietnam War on the USS Bennington aircraft carrier as a mechanic. He was able to see a lot of the world while in the military. He served over 10 years in the Army reserves and Air Force reserves. He received his GED and a two-year degree as a Certified Mechanic. He married Sue Hollingshead in 1966 and later divorced in 1975. They had two children, Lance Brandon and Tamara Frickie. Howard married Jeanne Woodbury on August 29, 1975. They had 3 children: Jacob Brandon, Stacey Sanderson and Ben Brandon. He was employed by National Lead, Chevron Refinery, Precision Trailer, and two bakeries. He was always fixing things at home or work, as well as for friends and family. He was a certified welder, pipefitter, machinist and mechanic. His greatest joy was fishing. His most memorable trip was to Alaska, where he had the best time fishing for salmon and halibut. Trolling in his boat, with his fishing line out on Strawberry Reservoir or at Scofield was his favorite pastime. During his final year, he loved riding his recumbent bike with his dog Ella by his side. Howard passed away at the age of 77, on February 21, 2022 of metastatic lung cancer. It had spread to his pancreas, after a long battle during the last 14 months. Howard is survived by his wife, Jeanne; 5 children; brothers, Robert Brandon and Carl Hayford; sister, Rosemary Hunter; 11 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem, Utah. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bergmortuary.com.