Rebecca Ann "Becky" Howard

Stevensville - Becky Howard June 9,1947 – February 20, 2024 The universe welcomed Becky Howard home to rest on Tuesday, February 20th. One of our life's greatest gifts departed in the blink of an eye. Her rest was well-deserved; she was ready to be pain-free, to release the weight of this world, and follow the path of infinite possibilities awaiting her. We celebrate her freedom from earthly limitations and are grateful that her passage was comfortable. She leaves behind a community of family and friends who loved her dearly. Becky was mostly stardust held together by kindness and a love for all living things. The kindness and love she brought to so many will remain in the hearts she touched during her 76-year journey back home. Becky’s greatest joy was her girls, Kimberly and Susan. Having twins at 19 years old was quite the challenge, and she rose to the occasion, although those teen years were tough on the cars and the house rain gutters. In her younger days, she possessed a heck of an arm and could throw a softball to home base from deep in right field, effortlessly. She inherited her parents’ uncanny ability to toss mostly ringers when playing horseshoes. Even in her 70s, she could usually place the horseshoe wherever she wanted. She almost always "won the pot" playing the card game "13". Despite appearing like a sweet little old lady, she would whup you with a smile and then gloat about how heavy her "poker pot" had become. She understood the power of friendship and the strength of family. One of her most cherished rituals was the yearly "Hoo-Hoo" get-together with her sisters Kathy and Jeanne, sharing stories and insights while staying in their PJs all day. Becky and her brother Dan loved to reminisce about the time they smuggled a Montana ground squirrel into the family car for a trip to Minnesota. Somewhere in Eastern Montana, their parents figured out there was a stowaway and kicked the squirrel off the passenger list. Becky cried for miles. Becky was happiest when tramping through the mountains or chilling by a mountain stream. It seemed the land and trees spoke to her, sharing their secrets as she strolled in their healing beauty. Becky and Cathy, her beloved wife and life partner of 26 years, committed to a life together after a magical encounter with a hawk near Hope Lake. Together, Becky and Cathy earned a multitude of Adventure Badges for high centering their many Subarus, digging out of the snow, burning sneakers in the campfire, collecting rocks and rescuing saplings to be planted in the solid rock of Iron Cap on their Hillside Place property. The Navigation Badge always eluded them. One memorable navigation event was spending eight hours on the road traveling in a huge circle and unexpectedly ending up in the same city from which they had started the day’s journey. But the fun was always in their journeys together and not where the road might take them. We learned many valuable life skills and attitudes from her that make life sweeter and happier: • Treat others as you would want to be treated, then be nicer still. • Never use the hand towel to dry the dishes. • The sugar intake limits for grandchildren set by their parents must be ignored at grandma's house. • If something needs fixing, pondering, or thanking, go to the woods and let the trees guide the direction of your heart. • Dogs are meant to be spoiled rotten. • Shared laughter heals everything. • Pre-breakfast is the only way to start the day and cookies after breakfast are a necessity. • Birdseed IS expensive, but so is cable TV and watching birds at the feeders is a much better way to pass the time. • Love is not a pie; there is always enough to go around. • Road trips are like therapy on wheels; you can't stay confused about life on a Montana back road. Becky was preceded in death by her parents, Hal and Delores Howard and her sister Kathy Howard Blanch, all of Spokane where Becky was born. Becky is survived by her wife of 26 years, Cathy Scholtens; sister Jeanne (Bill) Lenoch; brother Dan (Patrice) Howard; daughters Kimberly (Chris) Devine and Susan (Geoff) Tate; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; brother-in-law Jimmy Scholtens; and a large extended family. She loved us all with a fierce and powerful love. Rest easy, Becky, and may your journey among the stars be filled with laughter, love and knowing. You'll be missed, but your spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew you. A Gathering Celebration will be held March 9, 2024 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM at 3605 Hillside Place Stevensville, MT 59870. This will include a Potluck, also it's BYOB.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rebecca Ann "Becky" Howard, please visit our floral store.