Howard Schultz

With gratitude for a long and well-lived life, we announce the passing of Howard E. Schultz, 91, of Douglas, and most recently, Holland Michigan. He passed away peacefully on February 14, 2026.
Howard was born in 1935 at the Douglas Village Hospital, now the Kirby House, to Howard C. Schultz and Mae Schultz (Chase) of Douglas. A fifth-generation member of the Schultz family in the Saugatuck-Douglas area, Howards roots in the community ran deep. His family were among the areas early settlers, and he carried that legacy with pride throughout his life.
He attended Douglas Union School and graduated from Saugatuck High School in 1953. Through a Ford Motor Company recruitment program, he earned his Mechanical Engineering degree from Indiana Technical College and was subsequently hired by Ford as a Principal Engineer. It was through Ford that he met Paula Martin of Lincoln Park on a company ski trip. They married in 1959 and soon began their family, raising three daughters together.
In his youth, Howard developed a deep love for the outdoors, spending countless hours hunting and fishing. Many of those early days were spent in the Allegan Woods alongside his father and uncles, where his lifelong passion first took root. That passion carried him on hunting expeditions across Michigan, Florida, Louisiana, the American West, and even the Amazon in South America. A devoted and longtime member of the Fennville Rod and Gun Club, Howard served as Treasurer and Vice President. He was especially proud of his work with the Youth Hunter Safety Program and gun safety courses, helping pass along both skill and responsibility to the next generation.
Howards career at Ford spanned more than 40 years. He frequently traveled to extreme weather testing facilities to evaluate vehicles under demanding conditions, contributing to improved engineering and production. One highlight was attending the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1966, Howard accepted a three-year foreign service assignment with Ford, moving Paula and their three young daughters to Valencia, Venezuela. During their time in South America, the family became fluent in Spanish, embraced international life, and traveled to places such as Colonial Tovar in the Venezuelan mountains and the Andes Mountains in Columbia, and several Caribbean islands. While living in Venezuela, Howard also hosted his Michigan hunting friends on an unforgettable Amazon expedition.
After returning from Venezuela, the family settled in Grosse Ile, Michigan. Frequent visits to Howards parents on Water Street in Douglas reinforced their strong connection to Saugatuck-Douglas. Summers were filled with time on the lakeshore, visits with Grandma and Grandpa Schultz, and gatherings with extended family and friends. Howard and Paula also enjoyed the local nightlife, especially evenings at the piano bar and dancing at Billies Boat House (now Wicks Park Bar and Grill).
Howard and Paula loved to travel, taking their family on road trips and camping adventures throughout Michigan and the American West, including National Parks in Colorado and Wyoming. Howard and Paula also went on an unforgettable trip to Turkey and surrounding countries, traveling with friends from Germany, which they talked about often. Later in life, Howard fulfilled a longtime dream with a cross-country road trip of camping, hunting, and visiting Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park in Alaska.
An engineer by profession and at heart, Howard loved anything related to automobiles. Over the years he restored and repaired numerous vehicles, including several classic cars. He was an avid fan of NASCAR and automobile racing and traveled to some of the countrys most iconic racing venues.
In retirement, Howard and Paula returned to western Michigan, settling on a beautiful 15-acre property in Glenn. Howard became actively involved with the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society, sharing his local knowledge and stories through recorded interviews that are now part of the Societys archives. Alongside his daughter Sandra, he spent countless hours researching and preserving the history of the Schultz and Chase families, well documented in local records and photographs. He was especially proud of the legacy of Schultz Park in Douglas, named in honor of his fathers many contributions to the Village of Douglas.
Another of Howards passions was honoring local veterans. He supported numerous Veterans Day events in Saugatuck-Douglas, paying tribute to classmates and relatives who served in World Wars I and II, many of whom did not return home.
Howard outlived Paula, his beloved wife of 67 years, by less than four weeks. He is survived by his daughters, Sandra Schultz; Julie Schultz Hislop (Thomas); and Christine Tucker; four grandchildren, Elizabeth and Abigail Hislop, and Stephen and Olivia Tucker; three brothers-in-law, Frank Lovejoy (Judy), David Martin (Dorothy), and Steven Martin; and three sisters-in-law, Elena DeMaggio (James), Nancy Martin (Dean Accivatti), and Janice Kasprzak (Zygmunt). All will miss him deeply and fondly remember his kindness, steady presence, and vivid hunting stories.
A graveside celebration of life will take place this summer at Douglas Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society or to the Fennville Rod and Gun Club Hunter Safety Program.
https://mysdhistory.org/
https://www.fennvillerodandgunclub.com/index.html
Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Homes-Saugatuck Chapel
Contributions

At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society
P.O. Box 617
Douglas, MI 49406
(269) 857-5751
Web Site

Fennville Rod and Gun Club Hunter Safety Program
2503 49th Street
Fennville, MI 49408
(269) 941-3238
Web Site