David James Hower

Loving husband, dedicated father and devoted grandfather - that is how David James Hower will be remembered by his family and friends. David was the youngest of six children. He was born to Cora Coon Purple and her husband in Marquette, Michigan on September 10, 1952. Marquette, like many of the cities up north, sat amid beautiful forests. That made the city perfect for David's family because they were in the logging business. So for the first few years of David's life, living in the Upper Peninsula meant that his summers held cool breezes and his winters were bitterly cold. He may not have remembered much about Marquette, because when David was two years old they moved to Muskegon, Michigan. There in Muskegon, his mother met and married Jesse Hower. Sadly, David lost his mother when she was 49 years old and he was just 11. David's older siblings, Robert, Richard, Patricia, Beverly and Marjorie all did their best to look after young David. His stepfather, Jesse, raised David and his brothers and sisters, but when David was 19, Jesse died, too. As a schoolboy, David attended Reeths-Puffer Schools. By the tenth grade he was ready to leave school and search for full time employment. He wound up working various odd jobs and in the foundries in Muskegon, including the Westran Corporation and Muskegon Steel. He was thrilled to be gainfully employed and his young eyes were focused solely on a Chevrolet Camaro. His protective and loving sister, Beverly, agreed to sign on a loan for David to become a proud owner of one such Camaro. The car meant the world to David. He had great pride in his wheels and he spent hours waxing and shining the outside. You can bet that the interior was always in perfect condition too! Love for a Camaro is one thing, but at 21, David fell for the true love of his life, the young and beautiful blonde, Debbie Peterson. Debbie was just 17 when the couple decided to tie the knot. They married in 1973 and not too much later, they joyfully welcomed the birth of their precious daughter, Danielle. Danielle brought a whole new level of joy into David's life. He was committed to being sure Danielle was provided for, encouraged, supported and loved. He was a wonderful and loving father who made sure that his little girl never went without. David was not much of a people person but that never stopped him from attending Danielle's school activities. He would leave the comforts of his home anytime she needed him to or wanted him to. Together, David and Danielle saw many Fury hockey games. David's sister Beverly and her husband Paul could always get him to go hunting. They invited him along, even though David could show both of them up with his "sharp shooting!" Beverly looked forward to having David come along on their hunting trips because she could count on her thoughtful brother to bring nuts to eat, which he knew she loved. One thing David didn't love was snakes. He hated them. Once while in the woods hunting, a snake crossed his path. Every time David tried to jump away or over the snake, he ended up landing on it instead. It was hilarious to watch and in the end David even lost his hat to that slithery reptile. David and Debbie's wonderful daughter Danielle grew up and became a wonderful young woman. She found a career in the health field and had a daughter of her own. David's beautiful grand daughter Joslyn, got her good looks from her grand mother and mother. She is a darling little three-year-old angel. David spent as much time as he could with Joslyn and he would call every single day to check on her. His patience with his busy granddaughter was amazing. He was her injured patient who she treated with every band-aid in the house. He forgot he was covered in them and headed off to the store looking like the walking wounded! David also loved to play monster. He was the monster and Debbie and Joslyn would run and hide in the closet while David walked around making monster noises. David's love for his family was apparent in the way that he lived. He was grateful for the people in his life and he did his best to cherish the time he had with them. David Hower will be deeply missed by his family who loved him well. Mr. David J. Hower, age 54, died Friday, February 2, 2007. His family includes his wife Debra, his son Michael Gunn of Florida; daughter, Danielle Claypool of Muskegon; granddaughter, Joslyn Claypool; 3 sisters, Patricia (Raymond) Beaudri of Marquette, MI, Beverly (Paul) Cherney of Muskegon, Marjorie (Daniel) Kissel of Muskegon; brother, Gerald (Helen) Purple of Grand Maris, MI; many nieces & nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers, Robert & Richard Purple & 2 nephews, Raymond & Ken Purple. Service will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2007, at 2:00 PM at Clock Chapel-Muskegon. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.