In Memoriam: July, August, September 2023

As is our tradition at the Leader, we are taking a look back at the lives of the people we have lost in the past year. Today we look at obituaries that appeared in July, August and September of 2023. See Dec. 27 and Dec. 29 for obits from the previous months.

July

Robert “Bob” Frank Francisco

After being discharged from the Air Force, Dad and Mom made their home in Anaconda where his service to the community began.  He was employed at the Local Brewery where his love of Rainier was kindled.  After that he began to sell Metropolitan Life Insurance, they bought the Dairy Queen with their friends Gene and Noreen Vuckovich, managed Wraith Ski Hill, and bought MacIntyre’s clothing store where both Mom and Dad worked full time. His service to the community included volunteering on many boards on both the state and local level, with 18 years as the Chairman of the Board of the Anaconda Community Hospital being his proudest.  Because of his life of service, he received numerous awards.

Thomas Darby Laughlin

Tom attended St. Peter’s grade school, graduating Anaconda high school in 1969. Tom spent 1 year at Carrol College in Helena, and 3 years in Dillon where he met his wife Siddona. Every year of his 39 total years teaching Tom was the highly requested teacher by parents. Tom was instrumental in starting the science fairs in Anaconda. Tom hosted many of his classes at Rock Creek Camp for both learning and fun.

John P. (Jack) Moreni

He grew up and attended Catholic schools in Goosetown, ultimately graduating from Anaconda Central High School. After graduation, he served his country in Vietnam. Later he graduated from college, was an educator for several years and a local business owner for more than a decade. He went on to live out one of his dreams traveling the country behind the wheel of a big rig. His travels included numerous trips over the Alaska Highway to Anchorage. This may have been his favorite job! He loved to share memories of growing up in Anaconda. He characterized it as an idyllic childhood with friends and classmates playing street games and working odd jobs for spending money. His teen years were all about harmless pranks, fast cars, cruising the drag and Bill’s Drive Inn.

Charles C. Lovell, Jr.

Dad’s judicial career was punctuated by some of the most publicized cases of his era. When a Montana sheriff challenged the so-called Brady Bill, Judge Lovell sided with local law enforcement in declaring aspects of the bill unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Lovell’s decision, but the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately affirmed the Judge’s constitutional analysis, holding that Congress had “dragooned” Sheriff Jay Printz into serving its unfunded mandates. Judge Lovell also issued the federal search arrest warrants that led law enforcement to the capture and prosecution of the “Unabomber,” a domestic terrorist who, at the time, was the FBI’s most wanted fugitive from justice. Judge Lovell and his local “court family” presided over defendant Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski’s initial appearance amid the crush of local and national media coverage. 

Felix Driver

He had a wonderful life growing up, lots of friends and family, many hobbies and lots of outdoor activities. He taught all the grandkids how to drive, including using a stick shift, even the one who couldn’t reach the pedals. He somehow made it work. He was a man who could fix anything. If he couldn’t find what he needed, he simply built it. He worked several jobs over his lifetime, but the one he enjoyed the most was AFFCO – right up his alley!

William (Billy) Nordholm

The most important “hat” that Billy wore was being a father to his 13-year-old son Miles, whom he loved tremendously and shared many adventures with. Billy was an avid lover of the outdoors and a die-hard fan of the state of Montana and took special interest in the history of the travels of Lewis and Clark. He loved it so much so that he mapped out visits and overnight camping trips for an entire summer to Lewis and Clark landmarks throughout the state for him and Miles to visit every weekend they were together. Bill and Miles spent a lot of their time together camping, fishing, 4-wheeling, driving to mountain lakes, and exploring areas around Butte and Anaconda. 

Donna Shagina

She attended local schools and graduated from Anaconda Central High School. She moved to Edmonton Alberta when she was 19 years old and lived there for the remainder of her life. Donna was a devout Catholic and made many close and wonderful friends through work and the Catholic community. Donna will be remembered for her spirituality, positivity, humor, strength and independence. She was a cancer survivor for over 20 years until she finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer a month before her 80th birthday.

Duane Darrel VandeKop

Duane enjoyed many various hobbies and past times. Before moving to Anaconda, Duane and his brother Ron were avid snowmobilers, a sport he and Francie continued passing down to their children and grandchildren. Duane enjoyed camping, fishing, four-wheeling, and enjoying a few drinks around the campfire with friends and family. He especially enjoyed fishing trips to Idaho with the Galle clan. Duane was also an avid hunter for many years with many others including Kurt Moreland, Gene Klanecky, Stan Glovan, and boys. Later, Duane enjoyed hunting with the Galle’s, his son, and grandson. Duane enjoyed old cars and talking cars with all the other car guys at car shows. His pride and joy was his daughter Jeannie’s 1966 Dodge Coronet 500. He also volunteered at the Lost Creek Raceway making many lifelong friends.

Timothy John Casey

Dad loved to be in motion. He loved cars, driving them, and working on them. He even talked about them like they were members of the family. He loved planes and was a private pilot. He loved riding his BMW K75 motorcycle. He was an avid runner and ran many road races, everything from 5K’s to marathons. He loved being at the cabin, first at Southern Cross and then on Fire Lane. He never tired of the view of Georgetown Lake. He loved skiing at Discovery and water skiing at Georgetown. He wasn’t afraid to try new and arguably dangerous things. He celebrated his 70th birthday by jumping out of an airplane. Dad passed on his love and energy to his five kids and twelve grandchildren. We all find a great deal of joy and peace in being outside together in what Dad always called “God’s Country.”  

Laurie Daniels-Fiddler

Laurie was born and raised in the scenic town of Anaconda, MT, where she embraced the rugged beauty of nature and developed a deep love for adventure. Her adventurous spirit was evident in her passion for skiing, camping, and fishing, always seeking to explore and connect with the great outdoors. She found solace in long drives, finding peace in the open road and relishing the opportunity to get away. If you were with her on one of these drives, you would hear Laurie sing and tell stories.

Frances E. Streifel

She married Don Streifel on June 27, 1966. They were married for over 52 years at the time of his passing in 2018. They were blessed with two daughters, Sue and Julie. Fran worked as a cook at the Park Café and then at Warm Springs where she retired from. After Fran retired she spent time with her husband and spoiling her grandchildren. She loved to crochet blankets which everyone loved. She donated many blankets to the nursing home and assisted living.

Dr. James J. Sullivan Jr.

Professionally, Dr. Sullivan, DDS accomplished many great feats. After graduating from Carroll College, he spent three years attending St. Louis University School of Dentistry. After graduation, he pursued a career in Dentistry, where he first volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy and spent four years as a naval dentist. During his service, he deployed to Southeast Asia on the USS Bryce Canyon. His dedication and commitment led to numerous achievements and adoration from his patients. His passion for excellence and his ability to overcome challenges made him a respected figure in his field and loved by many. 

Nancy Beninger Kitchin

Nancy worked at the Anaconda Hospital where she met Noreen McEvoy. They became fast friends with a friendship lasting over 50 years. Nancy also worked at Galen and the Anaconda Nursing Home, both as an aide and in the Activity Department. She retired in 2018 from Montana State Hospital where she met Mary Andrioli and Carol Prescar, who became lifelong friends. She cherished her time with her friends.  Nancy loved playing cards and dominos with her friends, especially Jackie Niland. Nancy was a devoted member of the Anaconda Catholic Community.

Gloria Ruth Carron Foard

Gloria’s sweet, fun, faith-based, family-filled and adventurous spirit started from growing up in Anaconda. In a sense, Gloria grew up within a real-life slide show right out of Norman Rockwell’s portrait imagination. She enjoyed ice skating, fly-fishing, shooting, playing marbles, popping her cap gun wearing her cowboy hat and chaps. She often frolicked with her dog Trixie while soaking up the serene outdoors of Montana. Most of all, she enjoyed being surrounded by her loving family and visiting relatives. 

Richard Sydney Harris

In 1972, Dick completed fire service training and worked for the fire service. He also spent several years working for the school district in Anaconda. Later in his career Dick was a caring social worker, working for child and adult protective services for the State of Montana for many years. Dick was skilled craftsman. He did beautiful work laying tile and creating animal figures and other things out of wood. He had a witty sense of humor, warm smile and was a great storyteller.

August

Gary Lynn Pearson

On April 20,1974, Gary opened the doors to Rainbow Sporting Goods, a business he always dreamed of owning. He started tying flies at a very young age and continued tying for his business for “49” years. He also built Custom Fly Rods and sold his Flies and Fly Rods to Fetty’s Bar and Restaurant in Wisdom, MT. Hank Williams Jr. purchased one of his Fly Rods. Throughout his business years, Gary met many wonderful people and tied thousands of flies for customers from Anaconda, the surrounding areas, out of state and out of country. Many became good friends that returned every summer. He touched the lives of many with his exceptional, artistic, meticulous and beautiful flies, making their lives more pleasant with his special flies he tied for Georgetown Lake, rivers and streams and mountain lakes in our surrounding area. 

Tim Storey

He is survived by his sisters Betty (Don) Ricci and Eileen (Otto) Dill, brother Tom (Carmen) Storey, and nieces and nephews Andrea, Sarah, Jennifer, Leanne, Chase, Carson, Ethan, Abraham, Charlotte, Sophia, Jacob, and Katie and his Arizona friends Ted and Candy Johnson. He enjoyed fishing, hiking, and solitude. He had many special memories of hiking up Mount Haggin and fishing in Warm Springs Creek.

William (Bill) Raymond Matthew

Like many of his generation, he answered the call to serve his country during World II, joining the Navy in 1944 and participating in the battle for Guam. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to Sheridan, Wyoming to find his family packing to move to Big Timber, Montana where they had purchased the Boulder River Café. Bill participated in the family business for a couple years, and then used his G.I. Bill to attend Rocky Mountain College in Billings, where he was student body president, participated in various sports and lettered in football, playing for his beloved Bears.  He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts and a minor in physical and health education and was a proud alumnus and booster for the rest of his life.

Michael Roy “Mike” “Lewy” Lewis

From an early age, Mike was extremely athletic and he excelled in every sport that he played. Mike was tough and he found his niche in the sport of boxing and went on to win several state titles. He switched his sport to football, playing for the Copperheads until his graduation in 1980. Mike then attended U of M and joined the Montana Grizzly football team where he played his heart out and was considered a team inspiration and made lifelong relationships with his teammates.

Rex Keith Lewis

Rex had many hobbies - he loved dirt bikes, snowmobiles, cars and Harley Davidsons, all sports especially boxing and golf. He kept himself busy with his many projects which, much to the chagrin of his daughter, usually entailed him hanging off a ladder. His greatest passion was being “chief head counter.” He was happiest and, in his element, when he was with his whole family and could physically count heads and know they were all safe and sound and together.  Those who know Rex can attest to the fact that he was a funny, funny man. His humor and “Rexisms” are and will remain legendary. Even in his last days he kept his family and medical staff cracking up.

Marvin A. Sletton

Marv followed his family of generational work at the Anaconda Smelter as a crane operator.  He also worked as a carpenter and heavy equipment operator for various organizations.  Later in his career, he became a prison guard at Warm Springs in Deer Lodge, Montana.  Marv had a heart of gold and held many titles in his life from being a skilled contractor to an avid hunter & fisherman; but his all-time favorite roles were being a father and a grandfather.  He loved nothing more than spending time with his family enjoying fishing, BBQ’s and being outdoors.

Bruce Allen Duxbury

In 1976 Bruce married the love of his life Joyce. In 1984 they welcomed their first child Leanna, and in 1986 they welcomed their second child Ryan. When Bruce retired from the prison in 2016, he spent his time around family and friends riding his Spyder side by side.

Florence Anna “Flossie” (Corcoran) Thomas

At the age of 15, Floss started working at JC Penney’s in a janitorial position. During her 50-year career with JC Penney, she managed every department, eventually becoming manager of the Anaconda store. (Mom always let us have first pick of the clothes we wanted before they were put on display; we thought that was awesome!) Florence genuinely cared about others as she volunteered her time through the local American Legion, Habitat for Humanity, Avon Grange, Hibernians and Holy Family church. 

Michael Bruce Grayson

Mike loved the law and he never minded going to work. He was an excellent attorney and cared deeply about his clients. He had several jobs, working first as Deputy County Attorney for Deer Lodge County, then was elected and served two terms as County Attorney.  He was a Public Defender for several years, and for the last 17 years he had a private practice doing all kinds of law. He fought hard for his clients and went to bat for those who could not defend themselves. He counseled people and listened to them and gained the trust of many.  He firmly believed in justice, and always fought hard for what he believed was right.

John William Taylor

John graduated from Anaconda High School, class of 1968. Following graduation, he served in the US Navy in Vietnam. Upon discharge, he married Rhonda Tiedemann and they settled in Pocatello, Idaho where John retired from the US Postal Service in 2003. John and Rhonda resided in Green Valley, Arizona until the time of his passing.

David Bernard Swanson (Swanny)

One of David’s biggest joys, after family, was being in the mountains hunting and fishing. This is where he was most at peace. David brightened the room with his infectious smile and embraced those he loved with his big bear hugs. He spent his life dedicated to making those around him laugh and feel at home.

Linda Mae Fode Clark

She comes from a family of 16 children. She spent most of her adult life in Billings, MT. Was married to her first love David Nelson, they had a son Glenn Nelson. Linda then met and married her soulmate Robert Clark, they were together for many years and had a happy and fulfilling life. She worked at Bears Cafe many years. When she lost her best friend husband she moved back to Anaconda to be with family. She loved watching football and the summertime, always out walking and socializing with everybody.

Elna Ruth Graham

Through the years, Elna and Randy enjoyed anything involving the outdoors. Whether it would be riding horses or ATVs, going hunting and fishing or camping with the family for archery shoots. During her retirement she spent a great time in her garden and taking up bee keeping. Her favorite times were spent on spur of the moment road trips with Randy and hosting family gatherings with all her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.

Sister Edna Hunthausen, SCL

Sister said that her life had been graced by the faith of those she served on the reservation.  That, and an early appreciation of faith from her family, formed her into a grounded, prayerful and fun-loving person. Sister was a deep listener, and had an easy laugh which enabled her to be present to all of any age. She helped people to see their own gifts, self-worth, and the importance of relationships in their own lives. She grew so close to the Blackfeet people that she was gifted with the sacred object of an eagle feather and her Blackfeet name, Natayi Piksaki, or Holy Bird Woman.

Dorothy Friez

In 1958, Dorothy married the love of her life, Ben Friez whom she had two children with – Benny and Chuck. She enjoyed baking, cooking, gardening, and camping with her husband at the Big Hole. She proudly hosted many Thanksgiving dinners for the entire Smollack family and spent many weekends with her sister Donna in Whitehall while their husbands went fishing. In recent years, she looked forward to Thursdays when she was able to play bingo at the American Legion. 

Todd William Gardner

Todd fell in love with Montana while visiting family in Butte. He earned a securities license in 1969 and moved there to sell mutual funds. Shortly after, he changed jobs to become a licensed multiple-line Insurance Agent for State Farm Insurance Company with an office in Anaconda that served clients there, Deer Lodge and Phillipsburg. In 1983 he transferred to a Butte office location until his retirement in 2002. Todd was a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club and some of his hobbies included playing his accordion, enjoying his dogs, walking the town’s nature paths and he especially loved target shooting.

Allison Elise Fender

Aside from her professional pursuits, Allison found joy in hobbies and interests. Golf was a wonderful pastime throughout her lifetime and was an especially shared passion with her and her father.  Family and friends often joined in on the solace and relaxation on the links with them. There was also a mutual enthusiasm and massive attention directed towards the Alabama Crimson Tide football season with her father and these same family and friends (Son in law and Ohio Buckeye fan Nate Shahan was the exception and good sport about it).

September

Joseph Harold Weist

Joseph worked on the smelter until its closure. He finished his career at Affco, retiring after 25 years. Joe enjoyed spending time in the outdoors with his family. He especially enjoyed hunting season where he spent time with family at hunting camp. Joe was always up for adventure no matter what it was.

Lori J. Bradley Clairmont

Lori was born in Philipsburg Montana March 30, 1958. Her mother Shirley Rangitsch, father Stanley Bradley preceded her. She leaves behind her sons, Nicholas Rios and Anthony O’Connoll, sisters Cheryl Carroll (Sam), Florence Elliott (Vern), Leigh Ann Seville (Jim), Trish Brown (Ernest). Chris Crisler (Jeff), Cheri Rangitsch, brother Joe Rangitsch and stepfather Joseph Rangitsch. She also leaves behind the lights of her eyes her granddaughters Brooklyn, Paige, Quiarrah Rios.

Patrick Michael Scalise

Pat worked hard all his life as a pipefitter at the Smelter in Anaconda, until he moved to Richland, Washington and worked for Hanford Nuclear Plant as a pipefitter supervisor. He also worked at the Housing Authority in Anaconda as a maintenance person. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family.

Blanche Loretta Proul

After being accepted and graduating from the finance school, Blanche was commissioned and proceeded up the ranks until she was promoted and became the first woman general finance officer in the Air Force. The obstacles she overcame were worth the effort, and were handled in her typical way, put her head down and get the task done. While Blanche was in the service, she completed her studies for her MA at Central Michigan and also graduated from Officers War college. Blanches tour of duties included Washington DC, Texas, Germany, NATO Command, which took her to most NATO countries, Taiwan, and Alaska.

Helen Denice Harrington Radonich

Helen was active in many local and state organizations.  She was an active member of St. Joseph’s Parish and the Anaconda Catholic Community, volunteering for many of their varied council positions.  She was the secretary of the Hearthstone Board for over 20 years.  She was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary.  She was a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH) serving as Local and State President for several years traveling to many state and national conventions.  She referred to herself as the Bishop of Ireland, wearing an Irish Tea Cozy while holding her Irish staff giving Irish blessings to events both in Montana and across the country.