C Kast

Howard was born in Ft. Dodge, Iowa December 11, 1921,  the only child of Charles and Ethel Kast and  moved to Winterset, Iowa where he grew up. Howard graduated from Winterset High School, exceling in  both  band  and  baseball  (he  once  squared  off  with  Hall  of  Fame  pitcher  Bob  Feller). In  1939,  Howard  enlisted in the army, serving his country as a tank driver and paratrooper. He was deployed with  the  Japanese  invasion  force  and  was  one  of  the  first  GIs  to  land  on  Japanese  soil.  Howard  rarely  mentioned WWII, but it was clear he understood that preserving democracy was paramount. Returning  home, Howard attended Drake University, hitchhiking daily from Winterset to Des Moines for class. Post  college, Howard  worked  at  the  Des  Moines  Register  newspaper  in  the  sports  department  and  loved listening to Ronald Reagan broadcast baseball games at night.

In 1946, Howard met the love of his life Rose Bosovich at the Val-Air Ballroom in West Des Moines, Iowa.  After a night of dancing, he escorted her home on  the street car  (afterword wondering how he would  ever get home!).  Howard decided early in his courtship, he would never find a better partner. Rose, who survives Howard, cherishes the memories of their 78-year marriage.

Having found a dynamic spouse, Howard began to build an impressive career in the field of accounting. He went  to work as a  CPA  for Haskins & Sells  (which eventually become Deloitte) in  Chicago with  the  understanding that he would transfer to Denver, where he had spent time during the war at  Fitzsimmons Army Hospital. Howard had taken one look at the mountains, and knew one day Colorado  would be home. Embracing the West, Howard took to the ski slopes, becoming a life-long promoter of the  sport. In 1969, he was appointed to the Winter Park Board of Directors which oversaw the Winter Park  Ski Area. Happily settled in Colorado, Howard focused on his career at Deloitte. He rose from a raw staff accountant  to  Partner,  to  Partner in  charge  of  the Denver Office,  to  Partner in  Charge  of  the Western  United States and finally to Vice Chairman and Partner in Charge of the United States – quite a career.  Upon  retiring  he  became  a  director  of  Holly  Sugar  Corporation  and  Oppenheimer  Mutual  Funds  and  worked with many Denver based businesses including Bank Western and JD Edwards Corp (now a part of Oracle).

During his career, Howard prioritized investing in civic and professional organizations.  He was CFhairman  of the Colorado Society of CPAs, President of the Colorado Board of Accountancy, Rocky Mountain District Governor of Rotary International and Chairman  of  the  Denver  United  Way  (during  the  1970-71  campaign,  the  first  year  they  raised  over  $2  million).  Howard also worked very closely with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, the Denver Council of  the Boy Scouts of America, Salvation Army, YMCA of the Rockies and Colorado Christian University where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree,  (just to name a few).

Despite  all  his  accomplishments, Howard  never  forgot  his  key  partnership  with Rose.  They dedicated  themselves  to creating a  family and were proud parents and  forever dedicated  to  their  three children,  Peter  (married  to Penny), David  (married  to Dolly) and Carol  (married  to Stuart). They  reveled in  their  roles  as  grandparents  of  5 and  great-grandparents  of 9,  all  of  whom  survive  him. Howard  loved  a  great  family  trip.  In  1979, he  had  the  idea  to  take  the  family  to  Hawaii  for  Christmas.  What a time. He packed more into two weeks than you can imagine--everyone had  to  take a vacation when they got home.  Happily, the Kast family trip to Hawaii lives on today.

The story of Howard’s life would not be complete without the mention of the Lord. Howard’s Christian  faith was the center of his life. He spent many hours in service to others and set a beautiful example of  how to live a Christian life.  In 1987, Billy Graham came to Denver for a crusade and asked Howard to be  the  Chairman  of  the  event.  Howard  accepted  with  some  trepidation,  but managed  to  raise  the funds  needed and it  turned out  to be a very successful crusade.   Afterward Billy asked Howard  to be on  the  Billy  Graham  Evangelistic  Association  Board  of  Directors  of  which  he  was still  a  member  as  a  trustee  emeritus.

Ultimately, Howard lived a large life, but cherished the small moments. He most enjoyed time spent with  family and  friends as well as his nightly bowl of chocolate ice cream. His great sense of humor always made him a wonderful man to be around. He was very humble and would have been the first to admit – It’s been quite a ride.

A  Memorial  Service  will  be  held  at  2:00  PM  February  28,  2023  in  the  chapel  at  Covenant  Village  of  Westminster, 9153 Yarrow Street, Westminster, CO 80021.

The  family thanks all the care providers at Covenant Village Long Term Care  for providing Howard with  great care during his final years.  Memorial Contributions may be made to the Denver Salvation Army or  YMCA of the Rockies.