Howard Groocock

On Wednesday March 4, 2020, Howard Groocock, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend, passed away at the age of 91. Howard was born on June 26, 1928, along with his twin sister Audrey, to parents Sydney and Edith Groocock in Port Credit, Ontario in Canada. Howard spent his youth in Port Credit where he was an active floor hockey player, member of a bugle band, a gold-cord Boy Scout, and participant in ROTC organizations. 

Howard moved to California in his early adulthood in 1956, and he would spend the rest of his life in Sonoma County. In 1960, Howard met his wife, Joyce, on a blind date, and the two would marry shortly after in 1961 and spend 59 years together. The couple was blessed with 3 children: Heather, Ted, and Becky. The family spent 47 years on a farm in Windsor, California. Howard was a hard worker and in addition to his farming duties, Howard had a career as an inspector. 

He spent most of his career at Optical Coating, where he proudly worked on important projects like the space shuttle windows. Outside of his career, Howard was also extremely active and gave back to his community often, serving as a volunteer fireman where he received Fireman of the Year, a volunteer police officer, a member of the Red Cross and CPR instructor, a long standing member of the Windsor school board, and an usher at his local church. Howard was well known in the area for being determined enough to successfully grow pineapples in Windsor, and over the years he enjoyed well over 100 pineapples from his greenhouse. 

Howard was an incredibly kind man who always helped others and had a smile to offer anyone he met. His family and friends fondly remember his constant jokes — his humor lit up the rooms he was in. 

Howard is survived by his wife Joyce Groocock, his children Heather Unger and Becky Lampson, his twin sister Audrey McDonald, his grandchildren across California and Arkansas (Kayla Miller, Alli Oneal, Garrett, Gabrielle, Grant, and Gianna Lampson), and his many friends. Howard is preceded in death by his son, Ted Groocock. 

A memorial service will be held at a future date to celebrate Howard’s life. If you are interested in joining the celebration, please reach out to us at he********@ms*.com and we will keep you up to date on details. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Howard’s honor to the charity of your choosing.