Opal Mary Howard
The world is not as sweet as it used to be after the passing of Opal Mary (Shryers) Howard on October 17th, 2020 at the age of 88. Opal was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1932 to Glenn Shryers and Isabelle Nelson. When she was still a young girl, the family relocated to Phoenix, where she lived the rest of her life. She married William "Bill" Baker and they had one child together in 1955. After 10 wonderful years of marriage, Bill passed away in 1957. Opal married Victor "Vic" L. Howard Sr. who had 3 children, and together they had six more children for a total of ten children. They were married for 23 years until Vic passed away in 1980. She was heartbroken over the loss of Vic, so with the encouragement of her children, she decided to find a job. She loved See's Candy, so when she saw a help wanted sign, she decided to apply and was hired on the spot. She loved the people and grew close to the customers. She worked at the Metrocenter store for over 20 years and then moved over to Arrowhead Mall where she worked for another 5 years, up until she was 78. When she dressed in the required white dress and black bow tie, everyone thought she was Mrs. See. She looked just li...[more]View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
the lady on every box sold! Opal loved to go to Friday night bingo at St. Helen's Church and made friends with everyone that sat around her. Another of her favorite things was the annual mother/daughter girls' trip to Laughlin. She had a wonderful sense of humor (sometimes naughty) that made everyone laugh so hard. She also was very generous and loved to buy the meals for everyone. She was usually lucky on the video poker machines. She always loved animals, especially dogs. They gave her pleasure and comfort, especially after Vic died. She would sit on her glider in the back yard and watch them play. Then every afternoon she would put out bread for the birds. Opal was a very special lady and loved by many. She will be greatly missed by all her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Arizona Humane Society.
