ELKHART -- Howard Charles Held, 84, of Elkhart, died at 10:53 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 10, 2008) at Elkhart General Hospital after a brief illness.

He was born March 16, 1924, in Syracuse to Whitmer and Effie (Hummel) Held. He married Geraldine M. "Jerry" Myers on Oct. 11, 1947, in Elkhart.

She survives along with one daughter, Kathy (Lee) Allen of Channel Islands, Calif.; two grandsons; and two sisters, Ruth Evans of Elkhart and Lois (Chuck) Forster of Sebring, Fla.

Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, and one hour prior to the 11 a.m. Saturday funeral service at Northside Church of the Nazarene, 53569 C.R. 7, Elkhart. The Rev. Lane Fosnaugh of Northside Church will officiate, with graveside services to follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola.

Mr. Held, a Syracuse High School graduate, retired from CTS Corp. in Elkhart after more than 40 years of service. He was a long-time member of Northside Church of the Nazarene and was a ham radio operator with the call letters K9HCT. He enjoyed computers, e-mailing friends and family, making things out of sheet metal, and mentoring the young, neighbors and his church family.

Memorials may be sent to Northside Church of the Nazarene for the Work and Witness Team, 53569 C.R. 7, Elkhart, IN 46514. Online condolences may be sent at www.billingsfuneralhome.com.