Howard Beggs Holcombe, 84, of Cedar Falls, Ia., formerly of Forest Park and West Chicago, died December 1, 2012. He was born June 9, 1928 in Oak Park to parents Warner St. Clair Holcombe and Erma Eleanor Beggs Holcombe. Howard graduated from Beloit College in 1950 with a degree in history and education. His first teaching job was at the high school in Clinton, Wisc. He earned his Master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois in 1956. His teaching career included teaching junior high social studies in Fulton, Ill. and world history at the Community High School in West Chicago. He was assistant principal and guidance counselor at the high school in Coldwater, Mich. In 1954 he returned to the high school in West Chicago where he taught history and served as guidance counselor.
He served as president of the West Chicago Teachers Assn. He resigned from teaching in 1975. He became an elected member of the Board of Education, West Chicago Elementary School District from 1981 to 1999.
After his teaching career, he continued his working career working for Beckley-Cardy and at Kroch’s and Brentano’s bookstore. He was also a volunteer at the West Chicago Public Library. Because of failing health he then moved to Cedar Falls, Ia. in October of 2009 to be near family.
Howard is survived by two sisters Sylvia Clare Holcombe Nelson of Davenport, Ia., Priscilla May Holcombe Earnest (Ken) of Waterloo, Ia., a niece Susan Rachouh of Cliffside Park, NJ, a nephew David Nelson (Ardyth) of Omaha, Neb., nephews Bruce Earnest (Ann) and Bryan Earnest (Lara) both of Waterloo, Ia., and several grand nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 29 at 11:00 am at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Geneva, 102 South 2nd Street, Geneva, Ill. Interment will be at the Spiritland Cemetery in Almond, Wisc. at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the church or to the Howard B. Holcombe History Scholarship Fund, c/o Beloit College, Beloit, Wisc.
