Howie Kangas Obituary, Death – The staff and administration of Perham Public Schools and Independent School District 549 would like to extend their sympathies to Howie Kangas’s family and friends. Kangas was one of a kind and had an effect on everyone in his immediate environment. On October 4, 2019, he was honored into the Frazee Hall of Fame, and the following year, in 2022, he was inducted into the Perham Hall of Fame.
Howie had the opportunity to make an influence on thousands of children across various grade levels during the course of his career as a Physical Education teacher in Perham. As a result of his devotion to his students, each of them most certainly received a “special nickname” from Howie, who was a much-loved educator. During his time in Perham, Kangas was active as a coach in three different sports: football, basketball, and softball. With an overall record of 119-65, he is the football coach at Perham with the most victories in the school’s history. He guided the Yellowjackets to a pair of appearances in the state playoffs. His teams won five Section 8AAA Championships, two Heart O’Lakes Conference Championships, and three Northern Lakes Conference Championships. His teams have won a total of seven conference championships
After a successful coaching tenure at Perham, Kangas was instrumental in reviving the football program at Wadena-Deer Creek. When the Wolverines defeated Staples-Motley in the playoffs in 2017, it was under his leadership that the team won for the first time since 1998. In an article that was published in the Wadena Pioneer Journal, he announced his retirement from coaching. It stated, “Kangas has created an environment that is characterized by arduous labor and respect.” He has set a good example for his players by showing them kindness, respect, and care, and he has contributed to the development of a great culture within the program. Fred Sailer, who served as the former director of activities at Perham, was quoted in the same article as saying, “He has legions of young men who go through life a better person due to their association with him.”