Howard E. Clement went home to be with the Lord on Jan. 17, 2011. He was born on Nov. 3, 1918 in Tiskilwa, Ill. to Leslie and Arlene Clement.

During WWII he served in the Army Air Corps as a radio operator and air operations specialist on a bomb range near Willcox, Ariz. In 1943 he met, fell in love with, and married Talitha Smith in Tucson. He always had a great love of airplanes and flying so, after the war, he obtained a commercial pilot's license and multi-engine rating, courtesy of the G.I. Bill.

The Clement family (including daughters Janice, Lora and Linda) settled in San Diego in 1958, where Howard was employed as a Flight Service Specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration. After retiring in 1975, he volunteered for the Salk Institute and the San Diego Air & Space Museum Library. He earned his Amateur Radio License in 1955 and enjoyed communicating with his Ham radio friends. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of San Diego for 52 years.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Talitha, daughters Jan (Phil) Steed, Lora (Val) Lemus and Linda (Steve) Roberts, grandchildren Shannon (Chris) Wilson, Torry Steed and Parker Lemus, sister-in-law Dottie Jo (John) Jones and many nieces, nephews and dear friends."