Steven Loyd Howard was born June 10, 1951, at 12:23 a.m. The home address given at time of birth was Rt. 1, Box 625-A, Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother was Edna Mae Howard, and his father was Calvin Theodore Howard.

Steve’s parents moved the family to Idaho in 1956, and to Alaska in 1962. Steve returned to Idaho in 1974.

A versatile and intelligent man, Steve worked at a variety of jobs in the region. He managed the Sandpiper Restaurant in Idaho Falls in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was a self-taught geologist, miner, and maker of custom jewelry. Rocks he mined, as well as jewelry he made, were sold all over the world. Locally, he was known as an artist and craftsman who excelled at creating jewelry featuring elk ivory, gemstone-quality plume agate, and other precious stones. Steve’s Prudent Man Mine in the Alder Creek Mining district near Mackay produced gorgeous stone. 

Steve was a generous man. He shared his skills with other silversmiths and goldsmiths by creating an archive of instructional videos. See https://www.youtube.com/user/lithohunter, where more than 11,000 subscribers have learned from Steve’s exceptional work.

Steve died of cancer on November 2, 2019, at his home in Idaho Falls, at the age of 68. He is survived by his two children, Eben and Even Howard; and by his siblings, Robert, Lynna, Jerry, Leland, and Kenny Howard. The extended family includes eight nieces and nephews and their families: Krystl Hall, Theo Carpenter, Ara Howard, Dale Howard, Jesse Howard, Mikaela Howard, Hailey Howard, and Matthew Chandronait. Some of Steve’s cousins also live in Idaho and in other western states.

Steve counted many friends as “family.”            

                “We have all lost a kind and gentle man.”—Caryl Wilson

                “I admired him more than anyone I ever met.”—Dick Morris

                “Smiling eyes, happy heart, kind soul. Rest in peace.”—Mike Ingram

A celebration of Steve’s life, and the scattering of his ashes, is being planned for the spring/summer of 2020. Condolences may be directed to Even Howard. evenhoward@gmail.com

https://www.woodfuneralhome.com/notices/Steven-Howard