Robert Lewis Howard Jr.

Robert Lewis Howard Jr.
Born August 17, 1983, to Colonel Robert Howard (MOH) and Rona Redfern Howard. Died February 21, 2022.
Robert was a beloved friend, soldier, and father. He is survived by his sister Rosslyn, sons Robert "Tre" Lewis Howard III and Jax Timothy Howard, and their mother Tori Danielle Howard.
In 1995, Robert moved to Dos Palos, CA, with his mother Rona, and sister Rosslyn. He entered 7th grade at Bryant school, where his grandfather, Clyde Redfern, also attended as a boy. Clyde's father, Stacey Redfern, had emigrated to Dos Palos from Nebraska with his parents, George and Mary Redfern, in 1898.

After graduating from Dos Palos High School in 2002, Robert entered Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Before the year was out he responded to the call to serve his country and follow in the footsteps of his father, Col. Robert L. Howard, who served three terms of duty in Vietnam. His heroism in Special Forces earned him the military's highest honors, including the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 Robert himself soon advanced to the Army's 173rd airborne combat team. He was deployed to Afghanistan from May 2007 through July 2008, spending his entire deployment defending Camp Keating - an infamously unprotected camp in a very hostile area.  He made hundreds of aerial jumps in perilous terrain. Following this deployment, Robert passed Special Forces selection and began training to be a Green Beret, but returned instead to Dos Palos to rejoin his wife, Tory, and son Tre. Son Jax would join the family before long. Robert was an attentive and proud father to his sons. During this period he worked as a mechanic for John Deere/Thomason Tractor of Firebaugh.
In 2016, Robert suffered an accident that left him wheel-chair bound. Despite this obstacle, He never lost his curiosity, resilience, wry humor, or sense of adventure. In January of this year, he took an assisted aerial jump over the California coast that brought tears of jo to his eyes. A month later, he died of heart failure while visiting an old army buddy in Oklahoma.
Memorial services will be held at Fierro Family Funeral Home in Dos Palos, CA, on Saturday, April 9. A catered reception will follow at the Y Service Club.

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