Howard George FORTIER

1922 - 1999  (77 years)

• Name	Howard George FORTIER
  Birth	3 Dec 1922	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Gender	Male
  Minnesota Birth Certificate	1922-50043
  Minnesota Death Certificate	1999-MN-036216
  Occupation	Teamster Leader
  Death	8 Dec 1999	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Notes	In the 1940 census, he lived with his mother and step-father on Portland Avenue “between Hwy 52 & 53” in the village of Richfield. His uncle, George Christy, and wife Rachel lived next door. He was employed as a messenger for a postal telegraph company. In the 1942 Minneapolis city directory, he is a simonizer and lives at 1822 Park Avenue, Apartment B. In August of 1945, while serving in the U.S. Navy, he was a machinists mate 1st class aboard a seaplane tender stationed at a repair base in the Admiralty Islands. He was the informant for his mother’s death certificate. At that time he lived at 4450 Stinson Boulevard. Minnesota labor leader Howard Fortier was known as a gentleman and for keeping his word. "He was one of the outstanding leaders in labor history," said Robert Fenlon of Mendota Heights, an attorney for the Greater Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association. "The thing that I admire about him was that you could always bank on his word." Fortier, 77, ran the state Teamsters union for much of the 1980s. He died Wednesday of heart complications at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. His career with the Teamsters began in 1953, when he became an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 32, the umbrella organization for all Teamsters locals in Minnesota. In 1960 he was hired as a business agent by Local 974, and the next year was elected secretary-treasurer. At the state level, he was elected a trustee to the executive board of Joint Council 32 in 1963. He became secretary-treasurer in 1965 and president in 1985. Dan Fortier of Minnetonka said his father was "an outstanding human being who brought great dignity to his job, along with candor, integrity, trust, word of honor." He said his father was on a first-name basis with many governors, mayors, legislators and judges. "He had their ear, and he talked policy with them," Dan Fortier said. "He was so involved and he was so respected." John Derus of Minneapolis, a former City Council member and Hennepin County commissioner, called Fortier a "tough guy" who was "thoroughly decent." "Howard Fortier was a guy who believed there was a lot of dignity in working with your hands," he said. "He was most at home with guys who drove trucks for a living." Al Hofstede, former Minneapolis mayor, said Fortier never forgot who he represented. "He fully understood that you have to work with management and make sure that they grow, because then you have the opportunity to grow," he said. In addition to his son, Fortier is survived by his wife, Sandy; four daughters, Cherie Hazel of Prior Lake, Barb Wood of Savage, Pam Rose of Shakopee and Sarah of Columbia Heights; two other sons, Sean of Grand Forks, N.D., and Scott of Little Falls, Minn.; three sisters, Barbara Fautch of Bloomington, Lila Cavanaugh of Minneapolis and Mary Petri of Finlayson, Minn.; four brothers, Rhodes Peterson of Minneapolis, Duane Peterson, and Fred and Ed Fortier, both of Plymouth; six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
  Person ID	I708	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	18 Mar 2021

  
  

  Father	Howard Francis FORTIER,   b. 10 Dec 1902, Minnesota d. 7 Apr 1960, St. Louis Park, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Emma Mae CHRISTY,   b. 2 Oct 1906, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota d. 6 Jun 1978, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1922
  Divorce	Bef 1930
  Family ID	F512	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Rita Catherine Ann FAUST,   b. 1 Oct 1924, Stearns County, Minnesota d. 11 Sep 1980, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 55 years)
  Divorce	24 Jul 1974	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Children	1. Daniel Lee FORTIER,   b. 21 Jul 1948, Hennepin County, Minnesota d. 24 Mar 2021, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 72 years)   2. Baby Boy FORTIER,   b. 26 Apr 1951, Hennepin County, Minnesota d. 26 Apr 1951, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 0 years)
  Family ID	F514	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 May 2007

  
  

  Family 2	S.J. RIEBEL
  Family ID	F970	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Jan 2017