Harold E. "Harry" House

Harold E. House

January 24, 1945 – August 28, 2025

Harold E. House, known affectionately to many as "Harry," passed away on August 28, 2025, at

the age of 80.

Harold's life was defined by service, family, and an unwavering passion for his community. He

joined the Alma Fire Department in 1973 and, for the past 12 years, proudly served as Fire Chief.

More than a leader, Harold was a mentor, always eager to guide and support new firefighters.

His progressive vision brought new equipment and ideas to the department, ensuring Alma was

always ready to face emergencies. He was especially excited about the new fire truck scheduled

to arrive this October. To Harold, the fire department wasn't just a workplace… It was family.

He held immense pride in the men and women he served alongside, and he cherished the bonds

he built with surrounding departments, speaking of them all as if they were one united team.

Harold was a family man, he married Carolyn (Brock) in 1966. They raised two daughters,

Christine and Carla. Together, they filled their lives with camping trips, boating and fishing

adventures. Harold taught the girls and many of their friends to ski and tube - even showed off

his own skills now and then. He was a constant presence at his children's and grandchildren's

sporting events, cheering from the sidelines with the same enthusiasm he gave to everything in

life.

A longtime member of the Alma Elks, Harold helped plan the annual 50's and 60's dances,

cooked for gatherings, and never missed an opportunity to "network" with friends. Twice, his

dedication earned him the honor of Elk of the Year.

After Carolyn's passing in 2003, Harold met Sharol "Sam" Pominville. Together they enjoyed

traveling to the UP, fishing, and spending time with family. They started the weekly family

tradition of Sunday dinners. A tradition that has lasted more than 15 years. They were very

involved with their grandchildren and great grandchildren, often dropping everything to provide

transportation or babysitting duties at moment's notice.

Harold was an honorary coach and fan of the Detroit Tigers and Lions from his couch. He often

exclaimed bits of wisdom such as: "There you go, keep giving them the ball, someone is going to

win this game but it's not going to be you!". Sports were a big part of his life from childhood,

playing baseball and football in high school. In addition, he enjoyed hunting from his blind he

fondly named "Martha Stewart".

Harold is survived by his life partner Sharol "Sam" Pominville; daughter Christine (Patrick)

Collom; grandchildren Andrew (Kayla) Schultz, Sean Collom, Megan (Josh) Gorney, Dalelyn

(Kyle) Gustavison, and Tim (Andrea) Gustavison; great-grandchildren Emmitt, Maeve, and

Bodey, with another on the way; son-in-law Tim Gustavison; sister Deana Korpon; many nieces,

nephews, extended family, and his Alma Fire Department family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Caroline; wife, Carolyn; daughter, Carla

Gustavison; and brothers, Kent and James House.

Visitation will be held at Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home 531 N. State St., Alma, MI 48801

Thursday September 4 th , from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with an Elks Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. A

second viewing will also be available on Friday, September 5, 2025, at Youth for Christ, from

10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

Funeral services with full firefighter honors will be held Friday, September 5, 2025, at 11:00

a.m. at Youth for Christ, 2550 W. Cheesman Rd., Alma, MI 48801.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pardee Cancer Center or the Gratiot

Community Foundation, as the family will be working with the Foundation to start a scholarship

fund in memory of Harold. Checks should be made out to the Gratiot County Community

Foundation and state in the memo line: Harold House. Mail checks to Gratiot County

Community Foundation PO Box 248, Ithaca, MI 48847

To view Harold's obituary or to leave condolences for the family, please visit

www.luxfuneralhomes.com.