Terry Howatt

Terry Howatt, 71, of Langdon, ND, was surrounded by his loving family when he passed away peacefully after a brief battle with cancer.

Terry was born on April 5, 1954, in Grand Forks, ND, to Stewart and Betty Howatt. He spent his early years attending a country school in Maida, ND, before graduating from Langdon High School. Terry was enlisted in the United States Army from 1972-1975. He served as a Sergeant of a Motar Squad in Berlin and was honored with the unique responsibility of serving as a guard during the King Tut exhibition tour in the 1970s. Terry was a proud member of both the American Legion and the Eagles Club in Langdon, ND.

Shortly after returning home from his military service, Terry moved to Seattle, where he lived for nearly two decades before returning to the family farm in 1994. Terry worked as a talented and dedicated finish carpenter throughout his life, spending many years with Schneider Homes in Seattle and later lending his craftsmanship to various contractors in the Langdon area.

Terry is preceded in death by his parents, Betty and Stewart Howatt, both his maternal and paternal grandparents, and several aunts and uncles. He is survived by his wife, Carla; his children, Jacqueline (Nicholas) Eldred, Scot (Talia) Ullyott, and Zackary Howatt; his five grandchildren, Austyn, Elsi, Leo, Lainey, and Luca; and his siblings, Lynn, Brian, Denise, and Robin (Scott) Schrock.

To best describe Terry his family has requested to share the following written by his daughter:

There are some losses words just can’t touch, and those cut the deepest. After a brief battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones, Terry passed away Monday night. And I’ve been sitting here trying to put my stepdad — my dad — into words… but nothing feels big enough for a man like him.

Terry was one of the most selfless people I have ever known, wrapped in a layer of stubbornness that somehow made him even more endearing. Quiet, steady, strong, hardworking… he was the kind of presence you could lean on without even realizing you were leaning. He was safety. He was calm. He was home.

He was wild and weird and wonderful — all the things that made him absolutely unforgettable.

Terry lived life in a way that was so uniquely him. Hunting, trapping, “antiquing,” collecting anything and everything that caught his eye — his passions weren’t just hobbies, they were adventures he invited you into. One year he cashed in over 70 beaver. Another year, our family trapped together and turned in 900 muskrats like it was a totally normal “weekend” project. And in 2003, he was the first person in North Dakota to catch a fisher in 100 years — and trust me, he talked about all of these with pride, and now we hold onto them for him.

He was grunge before grunge was cool. A rough-around-the-edges, long-standing bachelor who loved our mom and, in return, opened his home — and his heart — to two whole-a$$ kids. He loved our mom with the kind of admiration and steadiness people spend their whole lives hoping to find.

Growing up, I saw him as someone who could do anything. I mean… once he literally wrestled an emu (yes, you read that correctly) in a field. And he WON. Tied it up and tossed it in the back of his El Camino like it was just another day. I wish everyone could have known that version of him: fearless, strong, and hilariously unexpected.

He taught me so much — taught me how to drive AND parallel park, white-knuckled (I’m sure) but patient in the way only he could be. He was one of the two men who walked me down the aisle, and he did it with this quiet pride I’ll never forget. He loved me as if I was his own… mostly because at that point, I was.

We had many unspoken agreements (“don’t tell Mom”), but one thing I always knew was true: in the end, he was my dad. The biggest truth he ever gave me was that love isn’t about biology — it’s about who shows up, who stays, who protects you, who believes in you, who teaches you to be the best you but loves you at your worst. He showed me that promises are meant to be kept, fences are meant to be mended, and trust is something you give with your whole heart.

He wasn’t loud, but his humor, his grit, his wild stories, and the way he loved his family and friends without needing anyone to notice — all of it made him unforgettable.

Losing him hurts more than I can say. But being loved and raised by him is something I’ll carry for the rest of my life.

He was one of a kind. And there will never be another like him.

Rest Easy Dad

In honoring Terry’s wishes, no funeral services are planned. Close friends and family will be notified of future memorial plans for Spring 2026. If desired, memorial donations in his name can be made to Cavalier County Cancer Crusaders or Hearts In Action Hospice.

Cavalier County Cancer Crusaders

Donations can be mailed to:

Choice Financial

Attn: Mickey Cain

210 8th Ave

Langdon, ND 58249

Hearts In Action Hospice

Donations can be made via website www.hiahealth.org