Howard Sharrott Bio.

ClassMate Bio

THS Class of 1959

Published: November, 2003

I was born Aug 23rd, 1941 on Staten Island. We lived in Port Richmond, Concord, and Tucson AZ, and came back to the Island about 1951.

We lived on Clay Pit Road and I blazed the path from our house to PS 4. That path is now used for Clay Pit Ponds Park.

After graduating from PS 4, and I was off to Tottenville High School, 1955 -1959.

June 28, 1955. PS 4 Graduation. Mrs. Walsh, Principal.

I graduated from Tottenville High School in June of 1959.

My brothers and I, June 1959.

Mr. Wooleys Wood Shop, 1959.

Lunchroom, 1959.

I then went to California to visit family, returned, and went to work for S.S. White in Princess Bay. I joined the Army in Dec of 1961. Basic training was at Fort Dix and then I was off to Camp Drum (now Fort Drum) where I met Hope, my wife to be, in March of 1962. In Oct of that year, I was shipped to Germany and worked as a Supply Specialist. I came back to the USA in February of 1965 and went back to live with Mom on Clay Pit Road and work at SS White. Late that year I packed up my bags and moved upstate to Watertown, NY, where Camp Drum and Hope were.

The Senior Prom, with Nancy Sherbrook.

Our wedding, May 21, 1966.

Hope and I wed in May of 1966. We lived in a mobile home on the same lot as Hope's Mom. In May of 1967 our son, Howard was born.

Howard, Junior, about six years old.

And in November of 1968 our daughter, Julie was born.

Julie.

Julie and Howard, Junior.

We then purchased a lot in the woods on the Military Road in Sackets Harbor. We cleared the lot, and built a house there around 1971. I worked as a VW Tech for most of the years I spent in northern New York.

Went through the Great 1977 Blizzard and the Great 1998 Ice Storm. Our home was self-sufficient...wood stove, Kero lamps, gas stove and a generator. We raised our
children there in the woods - very much as I was raised on Staten Island....with trees, grass, mud, turtles, frogs, woods, paths and the rest of nature!

Our house in the woods and our VW.

Our Family.

Our son is married and has been in the Air Force 16 years.

Air Force Ssgt. Howard Sharrott.

Our daughter just went through a divorce, but we have 2 granddaughters by her.

Julie's college graduation and Julie "all dolled up!".

We sold our "Paid Up"
home (we all make mistakes) and moved to Mountain Home, Idaho, to be near our son and daughter.

Winters here are only 3 months long, with no snow in the area of Treasure Valley - as opposed to the 9 month winters of northern NY! Hope has been ill for many years and the cold bothers her a lot.

Me with our granddaughters Autumn and Rachel.

Hope with our granddaughters.

Welcome to Haunted House, the home of Howard's Horrors!

My interests are science, painting in acrylics, and sculpting horror figures! I put on Haunted House for many years in northern New York. I was/am weird...... was in Lab Squad in THS!

I always liked creepy things, especially Halloween and old
graveyards, and I have a lot of books on ghosts and cemeteries.

In 1985 I set up a Halloween display in my front yard. I became well known for it, calling my hobby, "Howard's Horrors." I had News and TV people to come and never had so may cars and people at my place in all the time we lived there!

Elvira!

Nice corpse! (On the left, that is)

My characters were hand-sculptured, not made with masks and Dept. store costumes. They were sculptured from clay, paper mache, etc. I animated them with clear fishing line and 12 volt car batteries hooked up to a windshield wiper motor.

A friend of mine, who owned a big farm and produce stand, came to see my display (Mike Behling of Behlings Spookhill Farms, Adam's Center, NY).

He hired me to do up his - improve on his, that is - he always had a small display over the years...but I made him "famous" (and rich I might add).

I did his display and mine for a few years...then he got famous and didn't need me anymore, so I just continued with my own annual spooky displays until about 1997. I even taught an adult course at a Vocational school on how to make Halloween Horror Characters. I would make Frankenstein, Freddy, Jason, The Mummy, Witches, etc. Since we lived in the woods, the graveyard was a hit...especially the lantern coming up the path all by it's lonesome......

Howard

If you would like to send any comments to Howard, please click here: Howard Sharrott.