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Obituary: Edward Keith Howick
Author: Family of Edward Keith Howick

Edward Keith Howick

Family of Edward Keith Howick

Edward Keith Howick, age 88, peacefully passed away on May 20, 2026, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born on December 15, 1937, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Mahonri Carter Howick and Vera Martha Lythgoe Howick. He has lived in Utah, Pennsylvania, Idaho and twice in his adopted state of Montana, where he spent the last years of his life.

Keith attended Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was a captain in the Civil Air Patrol. His dedicated leadership of his squad won him a trip to Scotland, where he lived with participating families and toured the country's many national historical sites and monuments. It was in high school that he met his sweetheart, Gail Braithwaite. After high school, he served a proselyting mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in what was then the West Central States Mission — which included Montana. (He remembered working with the Ford Dealership back when it occupied the address Townsend Hardware occupies today.) After his mission, he married Gail on March 11, 1960, in the Salt Lake Temple.

Keith had a great love for his church. Even during his illness, he spent time reaching out to visit those who couldn’t attend meetings to brighten their day. A passionate life-long missionary for Jesus Christ, he often spent time teaching others and he served in many leadership roles, including Bishop, Branch President, and a local Stake Seventy. He collaborated with the Church to develop what was known as "The Eighteen-Year-Old Program," which resulted in changes to the Church's general Sunday School teaching program. He was also a prolific author and his devotion led him to write twenty-two books — including the index to the 7-volume History of the Church and a series of six books on the life of Jesus Christ. He leaves behind many unpublished manuscripts.

Keith loved and encouraged learning in his family. He held a bachelor’s, master’s, and juris doctor degree from the University of Utah, and he studied for a Ph.D in Political Science at Pennsylvania State University. His thesis for his master's degree, Dillon's Rule, was so well received that he was invited to speak to Utah judges and legislators on the topic and received correspondence for several years. He passed his love of learning on to his children, always telling them that they could do anything they set their minds to.

Keith enjoyed his business pursuits, especially partnering in business start-ups and young companies, which included partnerships in Ute Liner motorhomes, the Little Harvey dehydrator, the start up of Sky West Airlines (sold to later become one of the largest regional airlines in the U.S.), the Paradise Pacific development in Hawaii, the Utah Stars basketball team, the Solitude ski resort in Utah, the Seven Springs housing development in Sandy, Utah, Windriver Publishing in Idaho, and Townsend Hardware in Montana.

Keith loved basketball, and especially the University of Utah basketball! He shared that love with his family and he attended games with them for the majority of his life. Few games were more vied for by his children than the annual U. of U. vs. Brigham Young University basketball game, to which his mother-in-law, Ethylene Potter Braithwaite — a BYU graduate — was always invited. There was nothing more fun than watching the U. of U. fans suffering that kind old woman screaming "Go BYU!" in their midst! He was even selected as a superfan and awarded a commemorative basketball. He also loved pursuing adventure, such as obtaining a private pilot’s license, finding the best fishing holes, and braving road trips with his six children. He loved history and reading. If it wasn't a book about the life and times of Jesus Christ, it was books about Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and other famous statesmen.

Keith faced his illness bravely and with dignity. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family members (and cats). He is survived by his wife, Gail, and his six children: Deni Michelle (Ray) Morrison, Jodi Lynne Howick, E. Keith Jr. (Monica), Brian Carter, Cindi Gail (John) Dunford, and Christopher Carlyle (Elizabeth), ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A memorial service will be held at noon on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse, located at 916 Broadway Street in Townsend, Montana.

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