Howard A. Grosser

Howard Arnold Grosser of Gaylord died December 14, 2020 after having taught his children and grandchildren that a loving family and a deep faith are all a man needs to be truly rich. He was 89.

Howard was born Sept. 23, 1931 in Mount Clemens, Mich., the youngest of Hugo and Mary Alice (Dunham) Grosser's six children.

He married Ruth Krause on Nov. 3, 1951 in Algonac. The couple was married 57 years when Ruth died in 2008.

Howard was a U.S. Army veteran who was assigned in 1952-1954 to work on the Army's installation of microwave radio systems in the Washington, D.C. and East Coast areas.

His mechanical aptitude and carpentry skills enabled him to fix most anything, and he wisely shared that know-how with both his son and daughters, who he believed were capable of anything. He was design supervisor at Chris-Craft in Algonac for many years, at one time coordinating the sailboat division. He chose not to move his family when the company relocated to Florida in the mid-1960s.

Over the years he worked for Steven's Marina in Port Huron, and was manager of the fiberglass plant in Algonac.

Howard and Ruth lived in Algonac for 26 years, raising their five children and reveling in life among the expanding brood of Grossers and Krauses. Every holiday and celebration was occasion for family to gather. While he frequently worked extra jobs to support the family, Howard was always there to encourage his children in their academic and athletic endeavors. He played softball and coached Little League. He hunted for pleasure and to help put food on the table.

Devout in his Catholic faith, Howard was a lay reader at St. Catherine's in Algonac, and became a St. Mary Cathedral parishioner upon retirement to Gaylord in 1977. Family followed him and Ruth north, and, much to the couple's delight, they soon found themselves surrounded by children and grandchildren. Howard worked a short while for Grayling Industries before he and Ruth retired permanently to enjoy camping and fishing.

He was most proud of his children, who he taught to be courageous decision-makers: Howard (Chris), the late Mary Wisdom, Jackie (Jim) Warren, Nancy (Ken) Ragan and Peggy (the late David) Duncan; and his grandchildren, Sarah, Michael, Jason, Jenn, Greg, Ben, Andrea, Matt, Megan, Chris, Taylor, Sam, Brandon and LeeAnn. He was amused and enamored by his 12 great-grandchildren. Never did Howard shy away from offering them advice, and he enjoyed teasing many of them.

He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Besides his wife, Ruth, his daughter Mary Wisdom and son-in-law David Duncan, Howard was preceded in death by his parents, five siblings, and infant granddaughter, Karyn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, June 18, 2021 at St. Mary Cathedral where visitation will begin at 10:00 AM.

Those who choose to honor Howard's memory are encouraged to do so with a donation to the Otsego County Food Pantry.

Arrangements are by Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.  Please share your memories and personal messages with the family at www.gaylordfuneralhome.com