Howard Perry McChesney Jr.'s Obituary
McChesney, Howard P., Jr. ~ Passed away at the Grand Junction, Colorado VA Hospital at the age of 87 after a battle with cancer. Howard was born to Ethel L. (Petit) and Howard P. McChesney, Sr. in Los Angeles County, California on April 15, 1923. He graduated from Van Nuys High School in California and enlisted in the United States Army in 1943. Howard served in the 389th Anti-aircraft Battery Unit in the South Pacific during World War II. While serving on the island of Morotai he swam into the ocean and saved a crashed pilot and was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for bravery while risking his life to save a fellow serviceman. After the war Howard attended Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas on a football scholarship. At HSU he met his future bride, Patricia Ann Murray of Byers, Texas, who he married in January of 1950. They were married for 60 years at the time of her death in March, 2010. Howard and Pat had two sons, Matt L. McChesney of Grand Junction, Colorado and Mart D. McChesney, formerly of West Hollywood, California. They had five granddaughters and seven great grandchildren. Howard was a teacher and coached high school and college baseball and football and ended his coaching career at his alma mater, Hardin Simmons. He was inducted into the Hardin Simmons University Cowboy Hall of Fame along with his brother, Robert McChesney. Later in life he worked as an architectural draftsman for Collins Radio and retired from Ford, Bacon and Davis in the Dallas area. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Ethel McChesney of Van Nuys, California, his younger brother, Robert E. McChesney of Granada Hills, California, and his younger sister, Barbara Albright of Provo, Utah. He also was preceded in death by his younger son, Mart McChesney, in 1999 and his wife, Pat last year. Howard is survived and loved by his son, Matt, Matt’s wife, Susan and his five granddaughters, Samantha, Jessica, Melissa, Alicia and Rebecca and seven great grandchildren in Texas, Arkansas and Colorado. He has nieces and nephews throughout Texas, California, Arizona and Hawaii. A memorial service will be held in Dallas, Texas at Restland Saturday, March 5, and burial will be at the Riverside Cemetery in Byers, Texas along with Pat. A viewing is scheduled for Friday, March 4, from 6-8P.M. at Restland. The family is grateful for the loving and honorable care provided by the staff at the VA Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado.
What’s your fondest memory of Howard?
What’s a lesson you learned from Howard?
Share a story where Howard's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Howard you’ll never forget.
How did Howard make you smile?