Vance Rae Weckworth

Vance Rae Weckworth, 73, of Great Falls, passed away on May 23, 2018 due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Per his request no services are being planned. Cremation is taken place under the direction of Schnider Funeral Home. Vance was born in Rochester, NY on January 12, 1945. He grew up in the small speck of a town, Smyrna, NY. He spent much of his youth tagging alongside his beloved grandfather, Ralph Spicer who instilled in him a love and appreciation for wilderness, and an introduction to the ethical pursuit of hunting and trapping from a young age until his end. Vance was a man of the woods and the mountains. There was little that he enjoyed more and it was a passion he endeavored to pass on to his children and grand-children. After graduation from Sherburne High in 1963, Vance joined the Air Force, spending time directing aircraft throughout Europe and Asia, including serving his country during the Vietnam War. He loved his time in Southeast Asia, the food, people and culture, but the war and related conflicts, as with many of his fellow service men and women, left him psychologically scarred and afflicted. In spite of it all, he was fiercely patriotic and unwavering in his dedication to country. His greatest honor in life was to have served 21 years in the US Air Force. Along the way, Vance met fellow small-town New Yorker, Amy Neadom. After a raucous afternoon of snowmobiling, they decided that maybe they liked each other and became a thing. Then, amidst the chaos of Amy’s nursing school and Vance’s overseas deployments, they found their way to true love and a long distance proposal where Vance’s father, Edgar, offered Amy a ring on his behalf. On October 13, 1973, Vance and Amy wed and established the foundation of love, respect and understanding on which to build a family. Vance always credited Amy with saving him from himself, and giving him a reason to grow old. A couple years after their wedding their first child Rachel was born followed by at uncanny intervals of 3 years and 4 months each, Byron and Vance II. Together Vance and Amy set the bar on what dedicated and collaborative parenting should look like. Vance always said that though his military service might be his greatest honor, being a dad and raising his kids was the most important job he ever had. His commitment to his wife and children was unsurpassed, and he provided the blueprints for Rachel, Byron and Vance II on what a devoted parent provides. Upon retiring from the Air Force, Vance then decided to pursue his goal of earning a college degree. He enrolled at the College of Great Falls and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in business. Shortly after, he began his second career working for the State of Montana’s Job Service division ultimately ending up in a position where he taught classes on resume writing and interview skills and helped new college graduates be competitive in finding employment. He loved this work, but at the ripe old age of 55 he enjoyed his second and final, retirement. Upon retiring for good, Vance was able to pursue his hobbies full time. This largely included golfing, fishing, hunting, and terrorizing local fast food joints with his gang of fellow retirees during their frequent morning coffee chat groups. He so loved this gang. It was also around this time that grandchildren began to enter the picture. Vance took it upon himself to continue spreading the love and appreciation for nature and wilderness to his grandkids, and one of his few laments is that his declining health over the past eight years precluded him from being able to offer training and guidance to all of them. Like most, Vance was a flawed human and there will be no application for sainthood. Yet he was a good man, an honest man, the best father, a devoted husband and a dedicated friend. His life’s journey was incredible and although passing at the age of only 73. He experienced more in this world than most could dream. Near the end he said he had no regrets and what more can one asks for than that? With his passing he has finally found the peace that increasingly eluded him in recent years and while the family he’s left behind grieves we are relieved that his suffering has ended and we rejoice in the love and memories he has left behind. Vance was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar and Doris Weckworth. He is survived by his loving wife, Amy; daughter Rachel (Robert) Bohannon; sons Byron (Julie) and Vance (Leah); eight grandchildren, Chance, Blake, Jack, Grayson, Norah, Cassius, Ani and Zayden; brothers Bruce (Kim) and Barry (Linda). In memory of Vance please, consider donating to a non-profit group that benefits our country’s veterans, and particularly those with PTSD. Some suggestions can be found in the links below: http://ptsdusa.org/about-us/our-mission/ https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/8-kick-ass-non-profits-that-serve-our-veterans-w449958/ Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com