JOHN RIDGELY HOWARD

John Ridgely Howard passed away on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. He was born in Los Angeles, CA, on January 8, 1946, to William R. Howard III, and Dorothy Lamour Howard. In 1959, they moved to Baltimore, MD, where he attended military school. At a young age he studied electronics and knew then he wanted to be in law enforcement. The family had a close personal relationship with J Edgar Hoover. From that friendship with "Uncle Edgar" John knew he wanted to pursue a career in the law enforcement field. John enlisted in the United States Marine Corp the day after he graduated from Towson High School. He became a CID investigator beginning his long career in law enforcement. After the Marines, he formed a security investigation agency specializing in insurance fraud, arson investigation working throughout the United States. He was a special investigator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other government agencies. John was a member of the California Conference of Arson Investigators and their international chapter. He was an active member of Central Valley Arson Investigators. John will be sorely missed by his family and wonderful and supportive friends. John was preceded in death by his father, William R. Howard III; and his mother, Dorothy Lamour. He is survived by his loving wife, Charlene DeTurk, of 30 years; along with his two brothers, Richard Thomson Howard, and William Ross Howard IV; and nieces and nephews. A Funeral Service will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Belmont Memorial Park. Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home, 1525 East Saginaw Way, Fresno, California (559)227-4048