John Child Howard May 12, 1944 - April 30, 2026

John Child Howard, 81, passed away at his home on April 30, 2026 just a few days shy of his 82nd birthday. He will be remembered as a hard worker, an avid reader, a loving father, and a servant of Jesus Christ.

John Child Howard was born in Salt Lake City, UT on May 12,1944, to John Israel Howard and Dorothy Jennie Child. His mother passed away the day after his birth. His father then married Ethel Glasmann. John spent his early years in Glendale, California with parents and his sister Virginia Howard.

John went to live with Ida and Charles Hilmer Peterson in Ephraim, UT when he was 6 1/2 years old. John attended Ephraim Elementary, Ephraim Middle School, Manti High School, and Snow College. He farmed for a relative every summer and weekend at this early age through his teenage years. He loved playing basketball and baseball with his Sanpete friends. He had a life long friendship with several people from Sanpete, including Jack Thompson, and Lewis Kjar. He always subscribed to the “Ephraim Enterprise” so he could keep up with the news events of his childhood home.

John was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and served as a missionary in the Norway, Oslo Mission. After his mission he was drafted into the US Army and served for two years.

John met Mary Afton Stanley in Orem, UT on a blind date set up by his sister Virginia. They were married in the Manti Temple on August 22, 1969.
They made their first home in Orem, UT.

After completing his education at BYU in accounting, John was hired as a Special Agent for the Internal Revenue Service, in their Criminal Investigation Division. John had beautiful penmanship, was organized, and was very good at this job. His work took him to places in Utah, Washington DC, and Nevada. Hilmer, Stan, and Jennie were born in Utah and Jeff and Matt were born in Nevada. After living in Las Vegas for five years the family returned to Utah and added Jay and Robert to their family.

John and Afton were very family focused. They enjoyed family home evenings, hunting, trips up Ephraim Canyon, camping, getting wood, family reunions, scouting, and missionary work. John coached sports, helped all six boys earn their Eagle Scout Award, and supported all seven children during the time they served a LDS mission. They even set up a generous college/mission fund for their grandchildren.

Faith and religion was important to John and at one time he was reading all four standard works at the same time. Some of the callings he served in were Second Counselor in the Bishopric, Seventies President in Las Vegas, Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Ward Clerk, teacher, and High Priest Group Leader.

John retired from the IRS in 2001. He and Afton traveled to many states in the US, and countries including China, and Norway. He enjoyed serving as a volunteer at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics.

After traveling, John and Afton served a mission in Kayenta, Inscription House, and Kayenta again in the Farmington Mission. They taught the Navajo families how to grow gardens on the reservation. They served in this capacity for three, six month periods spanning three years. They served a second mission together in the Provo Mission. They were English missionaries in a Spanish Ward.

John is survived by his wife Afton, seven children: Charles Hilmer (Jessica), John Stanley (Amy), Jennie Reynolds (Keith), Jeffrey (Rachael), Matthew (Johanna), Jay (Pam), and Robert (McKenzie), twenty-one grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

John was preceded in death by his parents John and Dorothy Howard; Afton’s parents Daryl and Olive Stanley; step-mother Ethel Glasmann; and foster parents Charles Hilmer and Ida Peterson; siblings Virginia Howard Solomon, Valene Aston, half-sister Helen Howard, and great-grandson Carson Dean Eames.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 310 East Center Street in Spanish Fork. Prior to the service a viewing will be held in the same location from 9:45-11:15. Interment will follow in the Spanish Fork Cemetery.

We would like to thank his Dignity Hospice nurses; Taylan, Renee, Mckenna, and Lilly for their care and compassion for John. We would also like to thank Julie Smith and all the wonderful neighbors and friends; too many to name. Thank you.