Peter J. Howley

Peter Howley, (aka Pete, Jimmy, Jim, Red) passed away peacefully at home on his favorite day of the year, St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2013. Pete loved his wife, Marion, whom he treasured, and his children, Kevin, Lynn and Brian, who were his pride and joy. His sister AnnaMae and his son, Kevin, preceded him in death. Born in Chicago, Pete was a die-hard Cub fan who enjoyed many good times at Wrigley Field regardless of the score, especially those with his sons, Kevin and Brian and daughter, Lynn. He often talked about the Cubs loss in the World Series in 1945, and never faltered in his hope that 'next year' would be 'the year.' He took pride in his Irish heritage which taught him a deep faith in God; an appreciation of work; and a keen Irish sense of humor. Pete graduated St. Matthias and St. Edward grade schools and DePaul Academy in Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois, Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Denver in 1965. Pete also served his country in the Army and was honorably discharged in 1957. In l963, a lifelong friend, Tom Doherty, and Pete moved to Denver where they both worked full-time and attended school. Many wonderful memories were created while living on a shoestring. In 1964 Marion and Pete were married in Chicago and she joined him in Denver. In 48 years Pete never failed to egg her on and she never failed to fall prey to his dry sense of humor. In 1966 their first child, Kevin, was born followed in 1971 by daughter, Lynn, and son, Brian, in 1974. Pete immediately took to Fatherhood. They were the joy of his life. He listened, he told stories, took endless movies and pictures, played ball, attended all their sporting events, read bedtime stories and played hours of Candyland and Clue. From 1979 to 1984 while Marion attended Metropolitan State College he served dinner to them, monitoredtheir homework and got them to bed. Wrestling and pillow fights were part of the many memories that live on with his children about those days. Pete was a putterer. He loved to fix anything even if it wasn't broken: at his house, his rental, and even at his daughter, Lynn's house. Like a leprechaun he would often go to ""fix"" something unbeknownst to her while she was at work, disappearing before she returned home. In 1965 Pete, Don Pittner, and Paul Toner began Allied Brokers, a food brokerage firm where he was known as a man of integrity, honesty, and hard work. With a tremendous amount of determination the business flourished. Though it was a food brokerage, Pete sold only non-food items in grocery stores and his children relished in telling people their Daddy was a food broker but didn't sell any food! Later, Allied Brokers merged with Highland Stone Hall and Pete retired in 1999 leaving behind many colleagues who have become good friends. Pete relished hosting family and friends and showing off his beloved Rockies where he enjoyed fishing with his sons and his friends. Pete took pride in his home, enjoyed gardening and then stepping back and admiring his handiwork. His garden was a constant work in progress but it resulted in many hours sitting on the glider watching the birds and squirrels enjoying the present moment. Pete fought liver disease for the last 23 years of his life, often surprising doctors who predicted a more bleak outcome. He never asked why but accepted what was and approached it with dignity and his usual sense of humor. Pete was grateful for the relationships he had in his life and took the time to say goodbye to all of them, near and far, before his death. Pete taught us how to simply…be a good man. It sounds simple but it's not. Pete's quiet wisdom, good humor, and commitment to his family and his faith are a model to us all. He leaves a deep hole in our lives but he will live on in our memories which we encourage you to share here.