** Published per family’s request for local family members.**

Howard A. Deel, 80, North Manchester Indiana, passed away May 5, 2022, after a brief battle with cancer.  The son of Elden Rufus and Beulah Irene (Cline) Deel, Howard was born March 15, 1942 in Nyssa, Oregon. He was nicknamed “Happy” as a baby and it stuck throughout his life as he was always smiling and joking around.

During his childhood, Howard’s family frequently moved around the Northwest states and Canada following his father’s work on the Oregon pipelines.  Their nomadic lifestyle fueled Howard’s love of traveling around the United States.  After graduating high school in 1960 he married his teenage love Linda Razykowski in 1961, which brought the delight of a son, Howard Deel Jr (later changed to Benedict).  A few short years later they were divorced. He spent time working on cattle ranches in the west.  In 1968 he finally earned his pilot license and started flying his first airplane a 1947 Aeronca “Chief”.  He then began his lifelong trucking career which started by hauling logs.  This trucking venture brought him to Kansas City MO in 1970 where he met his second wife Dorothy where together they shared her children; Bill, John, Jeannie, and Kathy Fields and unto this marriage Katrina Deel was born.  And in 1973 he purchased his 1962 Cessna 182 Skylane which was used for fun and family trips. After Dorothy’s death he traveled to Indiana and married Ruth in 1985 and shared her two children Anita and Bob Treash and nephew Tom Combs.  Together they started his trucking business H&R Trucking Inc.   Later in life he married Cindy and shared her two children Josh and Levi Hawk.  Howard retired from trucking in 2009 after working 49 years over the road.

He is survived by his wife Cindy, his children Howard Benedict of Willard WA, Daughter Katrina Lock (Richard) of Tarkio, MO, Bill Fields (Sundie) of Belton, MO, John Fields (Robin) of Omaha, NE, Jeannie Do (Dinh) of Independence, MO, Bob Treash (Jamie) of Plainfield, IN, Anita Sharp (Gene) of Brazil, IN, Tom Combs (Laura), Westfield, IN, Josh Hawk (Ros) of Huntington, IN and Levi Hawk of Huntington, IN.   His grandson, Tyler Teel of Wright-Patterson AFB. Grandchildren Shanna, Samantha, Jessica, Kelly, John Jr, Christopher, Jasmine, Wyndi, Shawn, Alex, Bryan, Sarah, Zac, Tori, Josh, Sean, Jeremy, Corey, Ryan, Ckiley, Sebastian, Eric, Tiffany.  His great grandchildren Kyler, Kailee, Kieran, Kolton, Bianca, Brantly, Ashlyn, Kinzley, Brooklyn, Chance, Trace, Phoenix, Cheyenne, Addy. His brother Mickey Deel (Sandy), Sisters Saundra Bork, Marilyn Deel and Cristina Besendorfer. His former wife Ruth Deel. He was the proud uncle of Leanna, Curt, Jeroldine, Brandon, Michelle, Carl, Crystal, Jesica.

He was preceded in death by his parents Elden Rufus and Beulah Irene (Cline) Deel, his wife Dorothy Deel, his daughter Kathy Jo Fields, his brother and sister-in-law Jerold and Majel Deel, His sister Donna Hunt, His brothers in law Ivan “Harry” Bork and Marvin Besendorfer, and stepmother, Juanita Moss.

“I want to reach the end of life’s long highway, skidding through a cloud of dust. My fist thrust into the air, exclaiming “WOW, what a ride”!”  Howard Deel, autobiography 2007.