Howard Lyle Hartvickson, of Turlock, passed away on Friday, July 17th in Modesto. He was 75 years old.
Howard was born in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota on May 30, 1945. When he was just a toddler, the Hartvickson family moved to Turlock where Howard lived most of his life. He graduated from Turlock High School in 1963, where he was involved in sports and student government. He lettered in basketball and track and was voted student body president his senior year.
After graduating high school, Howard enlisted in the Navy and completed two tours of duty aboard the USS Kearsarge during the Vietnam War. Following his time in the Navy, Howard attended Menlo College where he was again voted student body president and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1972.
That same year, Howard met the love of his life Vangie in Sunnyvale, California. On their first date, they went on a rafting trip on the Stanislaus River. Howard and Vangie married on June 29, 1974 in Ogden, Utah and were together for 36 years before her passing in 2011. Howard and Vangie had two children together, David and Holly, and four grandchildren, Bailey, Brady, Reis and Eva.
Howard was a long-time, successful business owner in Turlock. He co-founded The Bohart Co. in 1980. In 2003, he became a realtor at Century 21 where he worked for the past 17 years. Howard loved nothing more than spending time and sharing laughs with family and friends. His other life passions included fishing, hunting and cooking amazing food.
Howard was preceded in death by wife, Vangie; father, Verdeen; mother, Eleanor; and brother, Norman. He is survived by son, David (Monica); daughter, Holly; grandchildren Bailey, Brady, Reis and Eva; brothers, Elvern (Emilie), Gary (Donna) and Leon (Barbara); and sisters, Norma (Kevin) Cederlind and Lana (Allen) Lopes.
A service will be held this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Turlock Funeral Home, 425 N. Soderquist Rd., Turlock, CA 95380. Burial will follow at Turlock Memorial Park. Due to Covid-19, indoor space will be limited and masks will be required. Guest will be allowed to congregate outside the chapel and at the burial site as long as they maintain social distancing.
