Jackie Carole (Walker) Howard
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5A - June 16, 2021
Jackie Carole
Howard
December 1, 1942 - May 28, 2021
Jackie Howard passed away
at the HopeWest Care Center on
May 28, 2021, surrounded by
family. She was 78 years old.
Jackie was born on December
1, 1942, in Wood River, Illinois,
to Jack and Opal Walker. She
grew up in Wood River and
graduated from East Alton High
School in 1960. After graduation, she attended Ottawa University
in Ottawa, Kansas. She graduated with a degree in Sociology and
worked in the Family and Community Service Division for the
Franklin County Department of Social Welfare in Ottawa. She
met and married Roger Howard on June 12, 1965 in Wood River,
Illinois.
Roger and Jackie moved to Grand Junction in 1968. Roger started
a teaching job with the MCVSD51 and she accepted a position at
the Mesa County Welfare Department in child and family welfare.
She worked there until she had children.
In 1977, Jackie was hired as the Area Director of the American
Cancer Society for the Mesa County Unit. She started many
programs and services for cancer patients and spearheaded many
fundraising events. She enjoyed working with cancer patients and
their families. She was recognized several times for her work. She
worked there for 21 years, retiring in 1999. During her time at ACS,
her husband, Roger, unexpectedly passed away in 1987.
Before his passing, Roger and Jackie enjoyed hosting dinner
parties with friends, playing Bridge, playing golf, traveling,
summers in Vail, outdoor activities, raising their girls, attending
Mesa State basketball games, and were active in the First United
Methodist Church.
After Jackie retired, she was hoping to travel more, but her dreams
were cut short when she started experiencing breathing issues and
was diagnosed with Bilateral Obliterating Organizing Pneumonia,
or BOOP, an autoimmune lung disease in 2000.
For the past 20 years, she spent winters in the Palm Springs area.
She enjoyed being there, and friends and family would visit.
Jackie was a member of the PEO, AAUW, First United Methodist
Church (Stephen’s Minister), she was an amazing Bridge player
in several ladies bridge groups, was a voracious reader, worked
out/walking at St Mary’s cardio/pulmonary rehab center, loved
watching Kansas University and Mesa State Basketball teams,
loved working in her yard and flowers, visiting family in Tacoma,
and spending time watching her grandsons play soccer. Going out
to eat, the movies, shopping, and spending time with friends and
family was also important to her.
Jackie is preceded in death by her parents, and husband, Roger.
She is survived by daughter, Cori; son-in-law, Tim Sturgeon;
grandsons, Luke Sturgeon and Blake Sturgeon, of Grand Junction;
Kylie Shunk, of Grand Junction; granddaughters, Sophia and Natalie
Shunk, of Hot Springs, AR; step-son, Brad Howard, and daughterin-law, Sandy Howard, of Ottawa, Kansas; granddaughters, Kylene
Howard and Allison Howard, of Shawnee, KS, and sister, Jill
Gnagey, of Bloomington, Illinois.
A special thank you to Dr. Bechtel and doctors at National Jewish
Hospital for their care over the years.
Memorial services will be June 19, at 11:00 a.m., at First
Presbyterian Church.
Memorial contributions can be made to American Cancer Society
or the charity of your choice
