Darriel Lachemann

Darriel Lee Lachemann, 70, of Great Falls, a retired teachers aid, passed away on Sunday, May 13, 2012 of natural causes at a local hospital.Private family services are planned for a later date.Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Darriel Lee Lachemann was born June 6th, 1941 to Thomas and Margaret Calvert in Great Falls, Mt. She was raised and educated in the Great Falls school system.Darriel was married to William Lachemann on January 30, 1960 in Los Angeles CA. Married for 52 years she was a dedicated baseball wife, traveling with her husband during his baseball career.Darriel became mother to many of the baseball players her husband coached and managed.She was the one they turned to for the many events that happened in their lives. She and her husband became the yardstick for how a players marriage should be.Darriel was a well-traveled person, visiting every state in the union through out her husbands career.As a working mom for her three children, she taught them the value of hard work.During their younger years she did bookkeeping at Montana Plumbing and the Rainbow Hotel.As they got older she worked as a teachers aid to learning disabled and at-risk children at West Junior High School, Paris Gibson Junior High, Skyline Elementary and CMR, taking an active, caring interest in her students lives.As her children grew, she took up painting as a hobby.While she loath to sell her work feeling her work wasnt professional enough, yet she painted wonderful items to give to family and friends.Her attention to detail and artistic eye made every piece of work something special to those who were lucky to receive it.As she grew older, her 4 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren were her greatest joy. Though living in states far from her, she reveled in hearing about their activities, successes and trials, smiling and laughing at pictures and videos chronicling their lives.Darriel was a fighter. In the past 15 years, she has fought three bouts of lung cancer, brain cancer, emphysema and COPD (chronic obstruction pulmonary disease).She never let her diseases slow her down, continuing to travel with her husband and living her life as she wanted.Always one to speak her mind if necessary, she was kind, compassionate and loving to all who knew her. Finally she was no longer able to fight the good fight.She passed away May 13, 2012 with her immediate family by her side.She is survived by her husband William; daughter Colleen Noon, Colleens partner Randolph Taylor, Colleens son Anthony Noon, his wife Bria and their two children Desiree and Jayden; son Bill Lachemann; son Tim Lachemann, his wife Mary and their two children Connor and Regina. She is also survived by her 3 sisters; Beverly Ulmer, Shirley McGuire and Joanne Krajeskewi.She leaves behind many friends and family that will miss her quick wit and humor and her willingness to listen and help in any way that she thought she could.Condolences may be posted online at www.schniderfunderalhome.com