Howard E. Kosel

NAPLES, Fla. - Lt. Colonel (AF Ret.) Howard E. Kosel, 75, of Naples, Fla., died peacefully on Friday, Sept. 7, 2007, at home surrounded by his loved ones.
Howard was born Oct. 18, 1931, in St. Cloud, Minn., a son of Joseph and Amanda (Waggoner) Kosel. After graduating in 1950 from Billings Central Catholic High School, he graduated in 1954 from Portland University in Portland, Ore. and entered the Air Force. On June 16, 1956, Howard and Patricia Dillon, of Girard, Ohio, were married in Fakenham, Norfolk, England. He served his country in uniform for 20 years with postings in England, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Louisiana and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He also served in Saigon and DaNang, Vietnam in 1967-68 earning a bronze star. Upon retiring from active military service in 1975, he worked for Topco, Inc. in Skokie, Ill. In 1981, he became the CEO of Sathers Candy Company of Round Lake, Minn. During his tenure he engineered the acquisition of several candy companies and manufacturing facilities, quadrupling the company's sales. For his efforts, he was inducted in 1996 into the National Candy Hall of Fame in Hershey, Penn. He retired to Naples in 1997 while remaining active on various boards and was a member of the Vineyards Country Club as an avid golfer. He is survived by his wife, Pat; five children, Anne Kosel (Buddy) of Jamestown, Colo., Joyce (Bob) Wils of Johnsburg, Ill., David Kosel of Johnsburg, Ill., Jane Kosel of Arlington Heights, Ill. and Joseph (Shari) Kosel of Lead, S. D.; two sisters, Audrey Crum of Aloha, Ore. and Inez Walker of Spokane, Wash.; his brother Gerald (Gloria) Kosel of Walnut Creek, Calif.; sisters-in-law Ann Kosel of Billings and Teresa Kosel of Colorado Springs, Colo.; seven grandchildren, Shannon, Lauren, Ian, Dillon, Alyssa, Daniel and Julia; and a great-grandchild, Alyssa. His children and grandchildren remember him as an awesome, generous, thoughtful, and funny Dad and Papa and he will be greatly missed. Howard was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Joseph and Marvin Kosel. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a memorial service and casual luncheon to be held in Celebration of his life at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, at the Vineyards Country Club in Naples, Fla. Military burial at a National Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to The Hospice of Naples, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, FL 34105. Arrangements by The Fuller Funeral Home 1625 Pine Ridge Road Naples, Florida.

This obituary was originally published in the Billings Gazette.