Bill Walden

Bill N Walden, 87, a lifelong resident of Great Falls, passed away in his home on Sunday, March 17, 2019. Bill leaves behind his loving wife of 59 years, Marlene; his son, Dirk and daughter-in-law Lorelei; grandchildren Kaylee and Erik; sister Betty Bestwina and brother Russell (JoAnne) Walden and nieces and nephews. He was born in 1932 to parents Fred and Alta and grew up on the farm in Gibson Flats where he continued to work for the rest of his life, always maintaining his vigor, charisma and grit. Bill served during the Korean War in the U.S. Navy, where he was stationed on coastal patrol near Kodiak, Alaska, where he ended up spending a decent amount of his time chipping ice off of the boat, encountering Eskimo fishing boats and improvising catching crab. After the service, he spent two years in school in Havre, studying auto mechanics, which served him well for the remainder of his life working on his farm and ranch near Great Falls. Bill and Marlene met in Great Falls in the late 1950s and were together ever since, having many adventures through the years. They were married in February 1960, and soon gave birth to their only son, Dirk. Bill had many different pursuits and passions throughout his life. An avid outdoorsman, Bill spent much of his time throughout the late 1950s-60s working as a mountain goat hunting guide near Augusta, where he would happily disappear for days on end into the hills. He always had impressive stories of encounters with grizzly bears and traveling deep into the backcountry. He spent time as a ski patroller up at King’s Hill (Showdown) in its early days, on long wooden skis and lace-up boots, back when skiers were nearly unable to turn when the snow was deep. He served as a director on the board for First Bank Westside, and later on First National Bank for many years. An entrepreneur and investor, Bill had a knack for business and finance endeavors. He gave generously to a long list of local charities over the years. Bill and Marlene had a passion for traveling and spent decades heading off to explore exotic places. They had a special affinity for Paris in particular, and returned year after year to their favorite sidewalk cafés. Bill had a full and robust life, and kept his sense of humor, stubbornness and sharp wit to his final days. He especially enjoyed tending his garden (especially his sweet corn), spending time in the summer sunshine in Whitefish, with his family, making silver-dollar hotcakes, and a well-mixed gin cocktail. He taught us all to not compromise, to be adventurous, driven and ambitious, and to take no sh*t from anyone--but to be sure to dish plenty of it out. We will miss his “Grandpa Face” that he used to make us laugh as little kids, his holiday commentary, his witty sarcasm, but most of all just his presence. The family has chosen to have a private graveside service, with members of his immediate family to serve as honorary pallbearers. A public visitation will be on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Schnider Funeral Home. There will be a celebration of life on the following Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the O.P., where Bill liked to spend time with friends, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, those interested should make donations in his memory to the local charity of their choice. We could never capture the essence of such a man in so few words, but he will be deeply missed. We all love him, and raise our glasses to him.