Tamie Jo Pachek

Tamie Jo Pachek was born on February 5, 1958 in Great Falls, Montana, and she passed away on December 20, 2018 at the family home she loved in Hardy Creek. She is survived by her children, Kimbre, Nate and Hannah; their father Steve; her sisters Debbie Pachek, and Vicki & Bob Stubbs, her best friend Janice Meheen, all five of her beloved nieces, her extended Pachek and Lancaster families, her friends and all of her cherished students past and present. Tamie graduated high school from Great Falls High School in 1976, and went to Montana State University where she was a proud Pi Beta Phi Sorority Sister, Little Sister to Sigma Chi Fraternity, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Business in 1980. Tamie was passionate about horses and dedicated much of her early years to AQHA shows, qualifying for the world show much to the delight of Jack. She always seemed most comfortable with a horse in the near vicinity and shared her knowledge with the next generation. She went on to work as a vet tech, an insurance underwriter, and at the federal land bank which brought her to Washington State where she met and married Steve Lancaster in 1982. They lived in Kennewick, WA with their two children, Kimbre and Nate. Kimbre and Nate were her pride and joy. She never missed an opportunity to watch Kimbre perform on stage singing or acting and never stopped supporting Nate as he pursued his passions. Tamie recently shared in the joy of Nate’s wedding and lovingly welcomed a new daughter, Hannah, into her family. Tamie seized every opportunity to visit her children and was their biggest supporter and best friend. Tamie was the kind of Mom who wanted to teach her kids the important lessons - like the perfect recipe for sausage bread and how to forgive. She was the cool Mom, and all she wanted was to be near you. Tamie was a fountain of strength and a woman of extreme faith. She generously gave of herself to all those she met. She loved fiercely and freely and was always the first to ask how she could help. She would give you everything she could, even if it left her with very little because she was happiest when she was filling others up. With a heart for serving others, Tamie went back to school at the Washington State University Extension in Richland, WA to get her Master’s in Education in 1995. She did this entirely funded by grants and with two small children at home. She was a teacher in both public and private schools in Washington and Montana for over 20 years. She was famous for her hugs, her smile, and her ability to get through to even the toughest of kids. She was constantly applying for grants to be able to teach her students in out of the box ways, and give them the supplies they needed. It was this kind of passion for her work that led to Tamie winning awards on both the state and national level. Steve and Tamie eventually divorced in 2006, but remained friends and incredible parents. It was then Tamie decided to move back to Montana in to be closer to her father, Jack. Tamie found purpose in supporting her father and helping him in the remaining years of his life. She enjoyed spending nights and weekends with him engaged in conversation over car races, sporting events, maintenance of the cabin and remaining an active member of Our Lady of The Valley Catholic Church in Wolf Creek. The entire family was able to create beautiful memories in the final months of Tamie’s life and they’re comforted knowing she left us all in a time when she was truly happy and her life was rich and full. A rosary for Tamie will be on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel in Great Falls, Montana. The funeral liturgy will be on Friday, December 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Great Falls. A private family burial will take place following services, and the family will rejoin everyone in the school cafeteria for a lunch to share hugs and memories of Tamie. In lieu of flowers, the family is arranging a donation to a cause Tamie cared about. Visit https://bit.ly/2LvsPSt for more information