Howard R. Sunde

Howard Sunde, 94, died at home in Centennial, Colorado among his family on July 31, 2023 due to natural causes.

Born June 10, 1929, in Logan township Dell Rapids, South Dakota.  His parents immigrated to the United States from Norway where they farmed and raised a family.  Howard was the youngest of seven brothers and sisters.  Towards the tail end of World War II, Dad and his brother, John, enlisted into the Air Force.  Shortly thereafter, he and John were stationed together in Frankfurt, Germany.  It was there that he met his wife to be, Ingeborg, where they fell in love and married in December 1951.  While Howard remained active in the US Air Force, he and Inge were stationed all over the world and the US.  Okinawa, Japan was one of the places that they were stationed in the late 60’s.  It was there that they were introduced to the opportunity of international adoptions through Holt.   Holt is an international adoption agency through Lutheran Family Services.  They adopted their first daughter, Julie, from South Korea which also corresponded with the day the first man landed on the moon in 1969.   From Okinawa they were stationed in Minot, North Dakota.    Just 4 years after their first adoption they then adopted their second daughter, Elizabeth, who also is from South Korea.  After serving close to 30 years in the Air Force, Howard retired.  Having been stationed in Colorado before, they found its mild climate and abundant sunshine was a good enough reason to make Colorado their home.   Howard secured a job working for the main US Post Office in Denver, which is where he worked for the next 25 years.  Now established, Howard and Inge built their dream home and raised their family in Centennial, Colorado. 

Survivors include his daughter and spouse, Julie Jail and Max Jail residing in Manzanita, Oregon, and daughter and spouse, Elizabeth Sunde and Richard Garb residing in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.  Howard has one surviving sibling, Sigrund McGee, who resides in Dell Rapids, South Dakota.  Howard was preceded in death by his wife, Ingeborg, who passed in 2020.  Also preceded in death are his father, John Sunde, his mother, Karen Skareide, his oldest sister, Lucille Rothenbuehler, followed by 3 older brother’s Kermit, Orville and John Sunde and his sister, Jean Trotter.

Services will be held at 11:00 on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at Centennial Lutheran Church at 3595 W. Belleview Ave., Englewood, CO  80110.  Burial will be at 1:00 at Fort Logan Cemetery, 4400 W. Kenyan Ave., Denver, CO.

Memorial contributions are welcome and can be made on line by going to tribute gifts under the Donate tab at www.holtinternational.org/donate or by mail to: Holt International, PO Box 2880, Eugene, OR  97402.