Danny Lemire

Our friend and loved one, Danny Lemire, 66, of Great Falls, quietly passed away on September 9, 2014 surrounded by his loved ones. He suffered a cardiac arrest after a three year battle with recurrent urinary tract infections caused by a hospital acquired infection.A visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2014 at Schnider Funeral Home. A funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements.Danny was born on October 30, 1947 and was the youngest son of Eddie and Susan Lemire. He grew up in Great Falls and attended Lincoln Elementary School, Paris Gibson Junior High School and Great Falls High School. When he was a youngster he shined shoes at the old Park Hotel and sold Great Falls Leader newspapers on a street corner in downtown Great Falls. As a child he loved softball and little league. He is most proud of the no hitter he pitched while playing for the team.He hired on with the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1966, which is now known as BNSF. He worked at various locations around Montana and finished out his railroad career in Havre in 1996 after 30 years of service. Thus began his love of trains. He loved everything about trains, whistles, air horns and the sound of a train coming down the railroad track. Any movie or television show that had trains in it was always a must see event for him.Danny married Linda Jendro in 1966 and of that union was born two of the loves of his life, his son, Danny Lemire Jr. and his daughter, Jodi Jill Lemire Handran. He absolutely loved every minute he spent with his children, especially the times fishing and at his cabin at Canyon Ferry Lake. Since he and his children were never fortunate enough to live in the same town, telephone conversations were priceless.He met his current wife, Leslie Craig Plummer Lemire while attending Paris Gibson Junior High, but fate had other things in store for both of them. They reconnected in 1978 and were married on July 8, 1980 in the chapel at the old Frontier Town in Helena, MT. After they were married, they spent eight years living in Helena and moved to Havre in 1988 where they lived for eight years prior to his retirement from the railroad. After Dannys retirement they moved back to Great Falls and together they have owned and operated That Bar located at 619 Central Ave.Danny and his wife had a very close relationship, it was unique in that they spent every waking and sleeping moment together, even sharing the same appointments at doctors. One doctor made a comment that some of their medical tests were almost identical. It was a love that went on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They enjoyed traveling but most of all he enjoyed spending time at his Canyon Ferry cabin. A perfect day for Danny would be lying on the sofa with a dog by his side watching a football game. Everyone who knew Danny would agree the world lost a Good Guy.Danny loved life, but most of all he loved the people. He was a true people person and if you knew Danny he called you my friend. At grocery stores, restaurants and any place where people wore a name tag, he always called them by their name and treated them like they had been lifelong friends. Of all of the people Danny knew, he never had an unkind or mean word to say about anybody. He was never in a bad mood and thought every day was a gift and most of all he never wanted anyone to worry about him.His second love in life was sports, any and all kinds, as long as they contained the use of a ball. His favorite was college football, followed by pro football, and he was even known to watch tennis and golf. He could start off the day watching sports and continue until his wife took away the remote control.Danny is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Leslie Craig Plummer Lemire; sister Sue (Bill) Gibson-Donnell of Sparks, NV; son Danny Lemire Jr. of Powell, WY; daughter Jodi (Jeff) Handran of Frenchtown, MT; granddaughters Kayla of Burlington, NC, Nicole of Pueblo, CO, Kierstan of Fort Worth, TX, Brianna of New Braufield, TX; grandson Jordan of Frenchtown, MT; two great-grandsons; two great-granddaughters; and his precious dogs, Lucy and Tina Lemire.He was preceded in death by his parents, Eddie and Susan Lemire; brother Larry Lemire; and half-brother Bob Porro.As Boxcar Willie sang:Ill ride that last train to heaven, on rails of solid gold.In a boxcar filled with satin, where the nights are never cold.Where the hobos always welcome, even in his raggedy clothes.Ill ride the last train to heaven, when the final whistle blows.