Harold George Huston

His was a life completely and thoroughly well-lived. Born in Peoria IL on October 18, 1935, his early life was like something out of an early episode of the old TV show “Lassie”, except without the fancy dog and June Lockhart. Rural, but still on the edge of a rough and tumble Peoria. Harold grew up living above a former speakeasy run by his maternal grandparents, George and Gertrude Vicary, out on Farmington Road. Surrounded by acres of undeveloped Kickapoo Creek bottom land, his early days were spent skinny dipping in the creek with his brother, Terry Huston of Williston Fl, shooting squirrels and pheasant, smoking cigarettes, and exploring old dog-hole coal mines once owned by his grandparents on the bluffs around the creek.

Harold and Terry made the newspapers one day escaping an early near-death experience. (One of many near-death experiences in his long life. Harold had an innate talent for knowing exactly when to duck.) It seems that Harold and Terry somehow got their hands on a round of anti-tank ordnance, likely a bring-back from the recently ended WW2. Of course, they “accidentally” detonated it in a field, lucky to survive with minor injuries and ringing ears. Police, of course, were involved.

His father, Ransford Raymond Huston born in 1914 in Iowa and his mother, Lucille Vicary, born in 1913 in Peoria, were divorced in 1947. It was unusual for the time, and the boys grew up with their mother and grandparents.

Harold attended Manual High School in Peoria. He excelled at football and getting into trouble. It is also around this time his defining traits first came to light. His ability to understand people and make friends. He eventually graduated and went on to study at Western Illinois.

He was the very image of the early 1950’s rebel; a pack of Lucky Strikes rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve, and a can of Falstaff beer in his hand. Good dancer too.

He married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Lillian Lane, in 1956, and his path forever changed. They welcomed their first born, Mark Harold Huston the following year. Soon Harold was a member of Steamfitters Local 353.

It was at this time he learned something else. He was really, really good at his job. He became a welder and worked with Carrier Air Conditioning on some of their large tonnage chillers. Soon they realized his talents and skills, and he was hired by Carrier.

Harold and Joyce lived frugally and saved. They bought a vacant lot near Peoria and hand-built their new home. Friends, of course, helped. Joyce shoveled dirt and gravel while pregnant with Beth Lynn Huston, born 1962 in Peoria. The house was finished just in time for her arrival.

Life settled in, and Harold gained experience, travelling around Illinois for Carrier, then the Midwest. He was sought-after as a master technician, and, as he always did, made lasting friends wherever he went. Through the late 1960’s he began to grow naturally into higher level technical roles, and then management roles.

Harold put forth a steady, hardworking, persistent and intelligent approach to his career and life. He took flying lessons. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and never lost his touch as a crack shot with a shotgun. Seldom did game escape his trusty JC Higgins 12-gage. He joined the Masons and became a master mason and eventually a Shriner where he served more than fifty years.

Career opportunities continued and Harold relocated his family to Des Moines, Iowa in 1969, building a home in the Western suburbs of the city. There was a tiny office and a state full of people he had never met before. A great many of them became friends as well as customers.

Next was a major promotion to Chicago in 1972. They built a new home and continued to raise a family. Chicago suited him, and soon he had made even more friends. His job took him from meetings with the boiler room staff of a building to the boardroom and executive levels, and everywhere in between. He had friends at the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker Drive to Chez Paul on Rush, and everywhere in between.

One of the things that attracted so many people to Harold was his innate sense of honesty and fairness. He was a guy you could trust. When a co-worker lost several children in a tragic house fire, Harold was the point man. Managing the donations, helping to arrange funeral services, supporting the survivors. He made a difference.

The early 90s were not good for someone like Harold. Carrier went from an engineering-based company to one run by nothing but finance people. Quality suffered. And a new breed of managers arrived, where concepts of fairness, honesty, and trust were now only hollow concepts, and profit became the only motivator. The world was changing. Harold chaffed under this new company and began to search for an option. He retired after 31 years of service.

At the time Siemens was interested in starting a service subsidiary, and hired a group of talented Carrier alumni to make it happen. Harold completely enjoyed his time here. He made friends from Alaska to New York, LA to Miami, and lands beyond. He also solved problems and made the world a little more efficient, a little more livable, and a little more friendly.

In September of 2001, Harold was in New York City, at the World Trade Center. He had meetings with WTC management on the 10th of September and was scheduled to meet again on the 11th. He wrapped things up early and decided to fly home on the 10th. Friends of his died that day.

Joyce and Harold retired in 2005. They built their dream retirement home at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Central Georgia. Harold became active in the community and was a highly respected member of Elks Lodge 2849. And again, he made friends. He was an avid golfer his entire life. While in Georgia he played at the pristine country club courses where he was a member, but also was a regular at the local “Uncle Remus” public course, which under the Georgia sun, had fairways like concrete.

Harold was Lutheran, and while in Georgia attended Lake Oconee Lutheran Church, and while in Florida attended Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Lakewood Ranch.

In 2021, Harold and Joyce moved to Bradenton Florida, to be near their daughter Beth. They were lucky enough to once again find a beautiful home not far from her. He slowed down quite a bit in the last 18 months and was briefly hospitalized prior to his death.

Harold was one of the good ones. He made things better. He fixed things. He made people better. He made them laugh, made them think, occasionally made them angry, made them more honest, more fair, more human.

He made us all better.

Harold is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Huston; two children, Mark Harold Huston and wife Kristin Lind-Huston of Hoffman Estates Illinois. Beth Lynn Huston-Zimmer and husband Dave Zimmer of Sarasota Florida; three grandchildren, Melissa Huston and her husband Doug Boggs of Berwyn Illinois, Bradley Huston of Chicago IL, and Colleen Huston of Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 12 (noon) p.m. at Parkview Cemetery, Peoria, with visitation one hour prior to service at Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel, Peoria.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.Davison-Fulton.com