Jacqueline Howard

Jacqueline (Anderson Sheppert Mayer) Howard passed away peacefully in her home in Hurricane, UT on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at the age of 83. Jackie was born on June 26, 1943, in Los Angeles, CA. First of six children to Don and Louise Anderson, she grew up in San Marino, California. Jackie is survived by her husband, Dan Howard and her children Andrew (Laura) Sheppert and Kristen (Ammon) Madsen and eight grandchildren, Alex (Brynn) Sheppert, Christopher Sheppert, David Sheppert, Sam Sheppert, Annie Sheppert, Campbell Madsen, Isla Madsen, and Cooper Madsen. She is also survived by 4 siblings, Stan (Mary) Anderson, Cheryl (Stan) Askew, Stacy (John) Morris, and Roger (Lisa) Anderson. She was preceded in death by her brother Doug (Elisabeth) Anderson and her two previous husbands, Allen Sheppert and Jerry Mayer. Jackie lived a long and fruitful life dedicated to her family and filled with her love for learning and the arts. She was kind, sophisticated, and always up for anything. Known for her fun-loving and laid-back disposition, she was a peacemaker and a true friend. Jackie was also very classy with a particular love for the arts. She loved music and played the piano for many events. While Classical and Jazz music played in the background of her life, she had a great passion for musicals and opera and attended as many and as often as she could. Her greatest artistic passion, however, was literature and poetry. She could be found every evening in a comfy chair with a book in hand. She was diligent about reading aloud to her children and grandchildren and her home was filled with books. She loved to recommend books to children and friends and, in time, passionately discuss them. She also loved poetry and could recite some of her favorite poems right up to the end. Jackie also loved God and served diligently in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints throughout her life. During her life-long service, she held and magnified many callings. Many of us remember her as our Primary President, Relief Society Teacher, Young Women’s President, Cub Scout Leader, Stake Relief Society Education Counselor, and pianist, to name a few. Jackie graduated from San Marino High School in 1960 at the young age of 16. She attended BYU where she earned degrees in English and French as well as her teaching credential. She also wholeheartedly enjoyed her opportunity to study abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris. She later received her master’s degree as well as a certificate for teaching reading from Cal State LA. She taught High School English and reading for several years before she was able to dedicate herself to raising her children full time. Upon graduating from BYU, she married A. Allen Sheppert in December of 1964. She and Allen welcomed two babies into their Sierra Madre home, first Andrew and then Kristen. They also opened their home to foster Willie, an 11-year-old Hopi Tribe member. Allen, a musician who filled their home with music, passed away in 1976 leaving Jackie a single mother and young widow. With a heavy heart, she dedicated herself to her own children, the high schoolers she was teaching and her church callings. Jackie was blessed to discover love again with a friend of her friends and married Jerry Mayer in 1979. She and Jerry raised the children, worked together at his insurance agency, and eventually built their own business owning apartment buildings in Pasadena. Jackie and Jerry also owned a house in Mexico where they hosted many wonderful long weekends filled with friends, laughter, and lively conversations. They also lovingly took several teens in need into their home. After 28 years of marriage and many tennis matches, Jackie lost a second husband to cancer. She continued to manage the Pasadena apartment business and began using her teaching skills again as a docent at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens where she would lead walking tours of the full gardens. During this time, Jackie zealously embraced the job of “professional grandmother.” Always a loving and supportive mother, as a grandmother, she would find ways to show up for and cheer at any performance, game, concert, and event that she could possibly get to. Jackie eventually met and fell in love with Danny Howard. He literally swept her off her feet and proposed to her while flying her in his airplane. She and Danny were married on August 18, 2012. Jackie and Danny have shared this very important job of professional grandparents, adding Dan’s 7 children and 30 grandchildren to their agenda of games, performances and graduations. She introduced him to the world of opera, and he gave her a taste of the world of airplanes and motorcycles. They split their time between California and Utah and enjoyed traveling the world and visiting their many friends and family. Dan declares that the past 14 years with Jackie have been “Heaven on Earth.” Jackie has been a tireless source of support and kind words to each and every one of her own children, stepchildren, grandchildren and friends. She is deeply missed and appreciated by so many. In December of 2025 she suffered a stroke which rendered her immobile and weakened. True to her natural cheery personality, she always had a smile for anyone who said hello. We are all truly grateful for the devoted, loving care Danny provided through Jackie’s last days.