Robert Jerry Howisey went home to be with his Lord & Savior on May 26, 2025.
Robert, affectionately known as Bob (and later as Grampie to his grandchildren), was born in Los Angeles on December 2nd, 1943, to Charles and Olga Howisey. Not long after being born, his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he spent his childhood and early adult years.
In 1964, Bob answered the calling to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Air Force and served as an aircraft mechanic. It was the Air Force that brought Bob to Fairfield, CA, that same year. Shortly after being stationed at Travis Air Force Base, he met the love of his life, his “Sweets”, Carol, through a mutual friend. They knew forever was their future, and were married on July 1, 1965.
The next five years brought a lot of life for Bob and Carol. They welcomed their first son, Steven, in May of 1966. Not long after, Bob was deployed on his first tour of duty to Vietnam from October 1966, and did not return home until Thanksgiving Day the following year, in 1967. Bob completed his 4 years of active service in 1968, after which he was discharged and began his career as a machinist with Kaiser Steel in Napa. In 1970, Bob and Carol completed their family, welcoming their second son, Timothy.
Bob continued working as a machinist for Kaiser Steel for 17+ years, where he made lasting friendships. Following his time at Kaiser Steel, he worked as a machinist at Unocal Oil Refinery, and also enjoyed woodworking well into his retirement, tinkering and building things for his wife and boys, and later his grandchildren.
Classic cars and drag racing were often topics of discussion with Bob, but if you were to ask what he would be best remembered for, everyone would tell you three things: he wore bright and colorful outfits that were unmatched, he always had a smile on his face, and he could make anyone blush with the plethora of jokes he had.
Bob never met a stranger and welcomed everyone with his warm smile and bright blue eyes. He enjoyed watching the San Francisco Giants, especially later in life when he could share the time with his son, grandson, and great-grandson. He also loved spending time as a family at Disneyland; his grandchildren hold one memory especially close to heart: Grampie wearing an orange Cars Cone on his head so he could always be found, speeding his scooter through the crowds only to be found waiting for his family to catch up, and doing donuts with his scooter in Carsland.
To know him was to have your life enriched with laughter and love!
Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Howisey (2001), Olga Howisey (2011), Son Timothy Howisey (2009), and Wife Carol Howisey (2024).
And while we know Bob is embracing his wife and son and celebrating eternal life, his loss is profoundly felt by his son Steven Howisey (Megan), his grandchildren Sean Howisey (Kaitlyn), Sydney Morgado (Nicholas), Alexandra Masis (Jose), Danielle Lobao (Nicholas), and his Great grandchildren Kennedy Masis, Walker Howisey and soon-to-be Cole Howisey.
Visitation services will be held at McCune Garden Chapel on Thursday, June 12, 2025, from 4pm-7pm. Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady Mount Carmel Catholic Church on Friday, June 13, 2025 at 11am, with burial to follow at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA at 1:15pm.
In remembrance of Bob’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the VFW (Veterans of Foreign War).
