Howard L. Hawks

June 2, 1935 – December 6, 2024

VISITATION: Friday, December 20, 2024, 4:00-7:00PM, Lutheran Church of Master, West Campus, 1200 N. 181st Ct., Elkhorn, NE.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 11:00AM, Baxter Arena, 2425 S.  67th St. Omaha, NE

Howard L. Hawks answered the call to be with our Lord and Savior on December 6, 2024. Howard was born on June 2, 1935, in Carleton, Nebraska, and grew up in Denver, Colorado and later Bruning, Nebraska, where he graduated from high school.

Howard spent most of his childhood on the farm with his dad, Fieldon, and his mom, Leona, as well as three younger siblings-JoAnne, Sharon, and Tom. Howard worked hard on the family farm and introduced innovative ideas for efficiency, like how to increase egg production from hens by shortening their day and plowing fields at night because the engine was more efficient in cooler temperatures. After working a summer job during college for his dad on the farm, he and his dad watched the destruction of their entire corn crop by a hailstorm. As his dad stared at the damage, he said “I cannot pay you, son.” Howard said, “I understand.”

Howard married the first love of his life, Myrna (Nebraska farm girl), in Bruning in 1955. Howard and Myrna reared three boys, Neal, Tim, and Troy. The three sons could not be more different. Howard embraced and appreciated their differences and loved each with his whole heart. Howard was an intense and playfully creative baseball coach, loved by players, whom he mentored and took pride in seeing in the community, many today, some of whom still addressed him as “coach.” As a good high school athlete at Bruning, he loved sports from his early days and remembered his basketball jersey number twenty-two fondly.

Howard and Myrna welcomed their first child, Neal, while they lived in Anderson, Indiana. They remained in Indiana for about five years directly after college, where Howard held executive positions at General Motors. During the mid-1960s, Howard and Myrna moved to Omaha where they welcomed Tim and Troy. Howard accepted a job at Northern Natural Gas in the mid-1960’s, which later became lnterNorth. Howard rose to President of Northern Liquid Fuels, Northern Border Pipeline and Northern Natural Resources. In 1985, lnterNorth and Houston Natural Gas merged to become Enron.

Howard left after the merger and co-founded Tenaska Inc, in 1987, where he served as Chairman and CEO until 2010, and continued serving as Chairman until 2022, growing it from a small operation in Omaha to a heavyweight energy company consistently ranked among Forbes’ List of America’s Largest Private Companies. Even after transitioning to Chairman Emeritus in 2022, Howard remained actively involved at Tenaska. He cared deeply about the Tenaska family and Tenaska’s success exceeded his wildest expectations. Howard often said, in jest, he “hired the wrong people” who were very bright, had big ideas and grew the company. Howard was always the leader-displaying unwavering ethical behavior, a strong work ethic, and inspiring those around him.

Howard taught Sunday School at Lutheran Church of the Master for several years. He was also a member of the U.S. Army Corps Reserve and was proud to be an American.

Howard married the second love of his life, Rhonda (Iowa farm girl), in 2002 and he embraced her two girls, Lisa and Rachel. Lisa and Rachel were his daughters and Howard was their dad, loving one another completely. He did not initially know about rearing girls, but they quickly gave him a lesson or two about dating, crying, and finding the “right” dress. Howard laughed as he said girls have a continuum of emotions ranging from one to ten: all in the same day.

Howard loved the family completely and fiercely, and his grandchildren gave him immense joy. When Howard was behind closed doors at Tenaska with the current CEO, five of the little grandkids burst into Howard’s office and all hugged him at once. Tenaska’s CEO said, “I could see the love and it melted my heart to see a man who intimidates most people be so deeply loved by his grandkids.” He played games with the grandkids and was thrilled they also enjoyed cooking a great steak or breakfast, hunting, golfing, fishing, and sports – Howard’s passions. He was able to watch and appreciate many of his grandkids hunting geese, deer, elk, and moose; watch and appreciate basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, and football– and took great joy in a grandson interning at Tenaska this summer. Howard retired from hunting after achieving his bucket list goal of bagging his fiftieth elk. Howard always had time for appreciating nature-enjoying a beautiful aspen tree or an amazing sunset. He enjoyed sporting events so much, he insisted to Rhonda in November, that they attend a Husker football game, a Creighton basketball game, and a UNO hockey game, and watched the recorded Nebraska volleyball game after getting home from hockey–all in the space of twenty-six hours.

Howard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting & finance from UNL (attending on a Regent Scholarship) and, later, a Master of Business Administration from UNO.

Howard cared for, and was invested deeply in, his community. Education was important to Howard, evident in his service as a Regent at the University of Nebraska for eighteen years. Creighton University was also important to Howard, where he served on the Board for twelve years. Howard also strongly supported community colleges and technical trades.

Howard served on multiple non-profit boards, led fundraising campaigns, and supported numerous organizations. Through their philanthropy, Howard and Rhonda focused their efforts on education, Christian ministry, the arts, and social services such as homelessness, mental health, substance use, affordable housing, child abuse and neglect and mentoring. Howard embodied “to whom much is given, much is expected,” in time, talent, and treasure.

Howard was a man of strong faith in Jesus as his Savior. He was brilliant, driven, tenacious, creative, demanding, disciplined, tender, kind, thoughtful, loyal, charming, and mischievous, all with a great sense of humor. He loved negotiating a deal-the more complicated, the better. He was fiercely devoted to his family and friends, and especially in his role as husband, dad, and grandpa. His intense love was illustrated by driving to five different stores to find the card with the perfect expression of love for an anniversary or birthday. He loved deeply, cared greatly, and gave generously of himself to those he loved most. Howard was a giant of a man, and his impact will forever be felt, remembered, and cherished. He leaves an indelible imprint on many lives and an enormous hole that cannot be filled in our hearts. He made us all better and had a talent for making each of us feel special. Though it is a very public loss, it is a very personal heartbreak.

Howard is survived by his wife, Rhonda; his children: Neal and Jamie Hawks, Troy and Heather Hawks, Lisa Thomsen, and Rachel and Brad Clay; sister, JoAnne and Don Lubben; brother, Tom and HuLaine Hawks; fourteen grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Myrna; son, Tim Hawks; grandson, Ethan Chapman; parents, Fieldon and Leona Hawks; his sister, Sharon Mulligan.

Memorials are suggested to Academic Scholarships at UNL College of Business or Athletic or Academic Scholarships at UNO or Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands.

To view live broadcasts of the service, please visit www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “Live Cast” button at the top of the home page or go to https://www.unomaha.edu/howard-hawks-funeral-service.php