William Olin Howard

William Olin Howard (Bill), at 81 years young, peacefully passed away at his home in Emmett, Idaho, with his loving family by his side. He was never alone, always surrounded by those he loved.

Born to Patricia and George Benton Howard in Santa Monica, California, on January 15th, 1945, Bill was later lovingly raised by Matt Sarich, who married his mother, Patricia. He attended Castleberry High School in Fort Worth, Texas, and graduated in 1963, building lasting friendships along the way. After high school, Bill joined the Navy, serving as a radio operator.

In 1966, he met his sweetheart, Delores Brown, and they soon married. Their first child, Wendria Heather Carson, was born—followed by their second daughter, Holly Nowell Johnson, in 1971, when they had settled in Boise, Idaho.

Bill’s career in the sporting goods industry began with Spaulding, and he eventually became a key member of the Idaho Sporting Goods team. His passion for the field led him to start his own business in the 90s, where he promoted Kramer products. His talent for sensing the future of sporting goods helped him land a role with Gatorade, where he worked and played passionately. Bill was heavily involved with Ironman marathons and competitions around the world—unfortunately, including in Hawaii, which he always joked about.

He also had an adventurous spirit and dreamed of driving long-haul trucks. I remember Wendy asking him, “Why?” His response? He thought it would be fascinating to see many places and meet interesting people along the way. True to his spirit, Bill achieved this goal too, hauling three trailers at a time in his 70s for various companies until his retirement in 2024.

That was Bill—an adventurer at heart, always eager for new experiences and making friends wherever he went. He had a special way of making everyone feel important, listened to, and seen. I hope each of us can carry a fraction of that zest, love, and kindness he shared with the world. God bless him and everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

He was preceded in death by his mother Patricia, father Matt, brother Tom in 2024, and sister Dana in 2026.

Bill is survived by his dear companion, Patrice Pennington; his brother Guy Sarich; his children—Wendy Carson (Paul), Holly Johnson (Dan), Casey Howard (Shannon), and Amanda Jacoby (Brent); and his grandchildren—Hayley Gonzalez (Sean), Couper Carson, Griffin Carson, Delaney Johnson, Ben Johnson, Brooke and Bailey Howard, and Beau and Jones Jacoby.

Service will be held at Potter Funeral Chapel. Pallbearers will be Paul Carson, Couper Carson, Griffin Carson, Sean Gonzalez, Dan Johnson, and Ben Johnson. The family would like to request if flowers brought to the service be in red, white, and blue. 

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