Jim Howorth died at his home in South Pasadena on January 17, 2024. Several months ago, he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and he also suffered with a heart condition.
The second child of Hattie and Briggs Howorth, he was born in Eagle Rock, where he attended school graduating midterm from Eagle Rock High School. He enrolled at Occidental College and attended there before transferring to San Francisco State where he completed his education while working part-time at Bethlehem Steel in South San Francisco. It was there that he met his future wife, Lou Lawrence, who was in her first year of teaching in that city. The couple married in 1959, and settled in San Mateo where their two sons were born in 1961 and 1965. At that point, Jim was working in Burlingame for Rapid Mounting and Finishing Co., a POP (point of purchase) advertising company. In 1968, the company tasked Jim with opening an office in Southern California, in order to be closer to major clients in the entertainment industry. The couple bought a home in South Pasadena and have lived there ever since.
Jim’s major interests were politics and sports. He was an avid runner and for years could be found at 4:30 a.m. at the SPHS track, running up to 10 miles daily. There, he met several people who became some of his closest friends.
Jim was first and foremost a family man. As his boys were growing up, he became very involved in their sports activities, particularly Little League baseball. He coached and managed some of their teams and served several times on the local Little League Board of Directors.
In their “empty nest” years, the couple traveled occasionally, and continued to enjoy the small-town atmosphere of South Pasadena.
Jim was a fun person, who was known for his humor, enthusiasm and genuine warmth; he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Lou, two sons, Michael (Michele) and Greg (Jackie), and four grandchildren, Chloe, Zachary, Jessica and Katie.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, April 13, from 2-5 p.m. at the San Gabriel Country Club.
