Bill Colenso

Bill Colenso died on Friday, January 3, 2025, while a guest at Peace Hospice House in Great Falls, MT as a result of metastatic liver cancer caused by pancreatic cancer.

Bill was born on March 9, 1947, in Butte Montana, to parents, Willie and Irene Quinn Colenso and was named Wilfred John Colenso Jr.

Bill excelled in education at St Ann’s Catholic Elementary School and Butte Catholic Central High School also known as Boy’s Central. He was distant runner on the track team of the Butte Catholic Central Maroons and ran the mile in the State Track Meet his Senior year. He continued with distance running in 1979 onward for 31 years until he experienced an arthritic hip. He completed 9 marathon road races, many half marathons, and 10k races. He continued his education at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, earning a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and in Engineering in 1969 and a Civil Engineering degree from Montana State University in 1970.

After college, Bill joined United States Geological Survey (USGS) and was assigned to the Horizontal Control division working 6 months in North Dakota and Montana and 6 months in Texas – mapping Big Bend National Park. After three years, he left USGS and joined the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) within the USDA in Olympia, Washington. He was transferred back to Montana and was one of the engineers on the dam for the Newlan Creek Reservoir at White Sulphur Springs, MT. SCS, now renamed to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), then transferred him to Cut Bank and Lewistown, MT. He ultimately settled in Great Falls, MT in 1980 as Area Engineer of the North Central area retiring in 2005 after 25 years of service. After retirement, Bill decided to return to employment as a Material Testing Tech with Maxim, Tetra Tech, and finally the Lab at TDH Engineering Consultants. He loved the physical testing work of concrete, asphalt, and working with the Geo-Tech Engineer. He thoroughly enjoyed being able to still use his well-honed engineering skills for another 18 years. He retired in August 2024 when he learned of his terminal diagnosis. He then came home and re-landscaped the flower garden and restructured 3 brick planters until cold weather forced him inside.

On September 28, 1974, Bill and Linda Marie Dunne were married in St Paul’s Catholic Church in Anaconda, Montana. This marriage continued for 50 years, 3 months and 6 days.

Bill and Linda created a family of three children, John -1976, Kathleen Anne – 1978, and Peter – 1979.

Bill lost his father, Willie; his mother, Irene; and his youngest sister, Lois Jean, who all resided in Butte Montana. His family carries on with his wife, Linda; son, John and Kledia and their children, Connor and Caitrin of Helena, MT; daughter, Kate and Jon Hasenbank and their children, Adam and Sophie of  Allendale MI; son, Pete and Sara and their children, Kali and Kelsey of Great Falls, MT; his brother, Don and Judy Colenso of Spokane, WA; sister, Marilyn and Jack Willoughby of Butte, MT; many nieces and nephews; along with many cousins from the maternal Quinn families.

The funeral Mass of the Resurrection will be held at Trinitas Chapel on the University of Providence campus (1301 20th St South in Great Falls, MT) on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at noon. Reception to follow.

Inurnment will be a private family gathering at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Mausoleum.

If you would like to remember Bill with a memorial, please consider donating to theTree Planting Fund for Gibson Park with the Great Falls Park and Recreation Department (P.O. Box 5021, Great Falls MT 59403).

Please do not click the link below as it does not go to the Tree Planting Fund for Gibson Park.