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In memory of

Howard Ross Cleveland

Sarasota, FL, USA

March 11, 1948 - February 11, 2020

Mar 11, 1948 - Feb 11, 2020

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Howard Ross Cleveland, 71, of Sarasota, Florida, previously from Hudson and Bath, Ohio passed away on 11 February 2020. He was born to parents Genevieve and Howard Cleveland, Sr., on 11 March 1948 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After graduating from Canfield High School in 1966, Howard went on to study Journalism at Bowling Green State University. He started his early career as a reporter for The Elyria Chronicle, solidifying his love of writing and storytelling, and later held various creative and V.P. level positions in advertising and marketing.

In the 1990s, Howard founded Digital Day - an early entrant in the Web space - taking it from a basement start up to a nationally recognized leader and innovator in website branding, creative and enterprise wide development for companies such as General Electric and Progressive Insurance. These efforts were recognized by Ernst & Young, naming him as their “Year 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year".

After retiring, Howard relocated to Siesta Key, where he quickly gained the moniker "The Keyster" among the locals, meeting new friends wherever he went. An avid gardener, Howard especially enjoyed learning every detail about Florida’s tropical foliage and was proudly able to name every palm tree variety. Known for his wit and love of facts, he also became famous for his trivia competitive spirit on Tuesday nights at The Beach Club.

Howard is survived by his wife, Denny Fraser and his four children Ashley Okey, Kahley Cleveland, Alex Cleveland, and Daniel Cleveland, whom he shared with his former spouse, Colleen Cleveland. Brother James Cleveland, Sister-in-law Nancy of Hudson, Ohio, nieces Kristen Cleveland Chambers and Natalie Cleveland and son-in-law Ryan Scott.

Howard always loved a good party. In his honor, there will be a celebration of life at his favorite place in Bath – The Gasoline Alley on Sunday, March 8th, at 3:00PM

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