Howard Kissler's Obituary
Howard William Kissler found victory in the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus, in the early morning hours of September 12, 2011 at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Washington after a short and brave battle with liver cancer. He was born the fourth of five sons of Fred Jr. and Clara Kissler in Odessa, Washington on November 20, 1950. He is survived by his wife, Debby of 21 years, daughters Janna, Tiffany, Ariana and Amalie, sons Jeff and Donny, and granddaughter, Rhiannon. Howard is remembered for his generosity and excellent work ethic. He gave 100% of his energies as a driver for Praxair Distribution in Tacoma from 2004 up to the week before he entered the hospital in September. He was always volunteering for overtime, including weekends. He had a keen interest in the welfare of the company and is particularly remembered for his deep laugh and cheerful demeanor on the job.
On the home front, Howard's children remember, among other things, his unique and zany bedtime stories, where instead of reading the text, he would make up his own versions of the story based on the illustrations. Howard loved gardening and created a private sanctuary for his family, specializing in tomatoes, snap peas, and pole beans, as well as numerous varieties of roses, trees, and flowering bushes. He and Debby shared a love of backyard birding and on several trips to the UK, he developed a love of Wales and the quiet, slower pace of country life experienced in the short periods of two weeks vacation time, a love, shared by his wife and two youngest daughters. Howard also loved boating and at one time, owned a bass tracker pontoon boat which he would take out on the Puget Sound with the family. Our beloved Howie loved life on his own terms, inspiring much laughter and affection among his loved ones. He leaves a legacy of hard work, the value of not taking oneself too seriously, a generosity well known, and a quiet, but nevertheless, apparent faith in Christ. He leaves a lifetime of memories to draw upon and to savor. Always and forever in our hearts.
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