MT. VERNON – Brent A. Howard, age 61, of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, passed away on July 3, 2024, after a short battle with cancer. He was born on August 19, 1962, in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, to the late Ronald and Sharon (Kern) Howard.

Brent is survived by his sister, Brenda Ogborn (Carey) of Zionsville, Indiana; daughter, Jaime Howard (Jay Harris) of Sims, Illinois; granddaughters, Madalynn and Maliyah of Sims, Illinois; niece, Natalie Lin (Mike) of Carmel, Indiana; nephew, Andrew Ogborn (Megan) of Salt Lake City, Utah; great nephew, Connor Lin, and great niece, Audrey Lin of Carmel, Indiana; aunt, Patti Causer of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; great uncle, Gerald Howard (Anna) of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; cousins, Lisa Leggans (David) and Mark Causer of Belleville, Illinois.

Brent was a 1980 graduate of Mt. Vernon Township High School and held several different positions at various businesses. He was an avid baseball card collector and he enjoyed all outdoor activities including camping (his favorite trip was a two week trip to the back country in Alaska), hunting for arrowheads and Indian artifacts, and riding his bike. He enjoyed watching all sports especially the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and the Indianapolis Colts. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Anna B. and Ellsworth Kern; his paternal grandparents, Charles and Delores Howard; and his uncles, William J. Causer and Larry Howard.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Pastor Jerry Wilson will be officiating. Memorials can be made to Angels on Assignment or Good Samaritan Hospice program.

The Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home and Cremation Services, located at 235 N. Sycamore St., Centralia, Illinois 62801, 618-532-3523, is honored to be of service to Brent’s family.

Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.sutherlandfuneralhome.com and the funeral home Facebook page.