Steve Howard
I have a lot of great memories of Gil dating back to high school when we played on the Shenandoah, Iowa High School basketball team together. Gil didn't date much in high school but a girl invited him to the annual heart throb dance. Unfortunately, Gil took a bite of a peanut butter cookie at hot lunch one day and his peanut allergy immediately sent him to the hospital to be admitted and so he missed playing in the basketball game that Friday night. Everyone in the school heard about his mishap or so Gil thought so he didn't bother to call and cancel his heart throb date. Unfortunately, his date didn't know Gil wasn't going to be able to go and she sat at home patiently waiting for Gil to pick her up.
After high school Gil and I both attended Iowa State University and we both pledged the same fraternity. The first week we were at school one of our fraternity brothers lined me up with a blind date. My blind date told me she would only go out with me if she could bring her roommate with her so I would have to find her a blind date as well. I begged Gil to go so I could have my first date at college. Gil reluctantly agreed. Gil's date turned out to be Clare Becker whom he married four years later. Gil told me a couple of years ago that I am not only responsible for his marriage to Clare but I am also partially responsible for his three children and his grandchildren. That double date back in the fall of 1969 has to be Gil's favorite memory of me. It's my favorite memory of Gil as well. RIP
Steve Howard
