William Covely

William F. Bill Covely, 82, of Great Falls, passed away on Friday, January 2, 2015.He was born on October 31, 1932 in Frankfurt, Indiana to the late Harriet and Frederick Covely. He grew up in East Los Angeles. His father, Frederick was killed in a construction accident in 1944. In September of 1950 he joined the United States Air Force and served through August of 1951. He was a Korean War Veteran. Bill moved to Great Falls in 1954 and married LuElla Munch in July of that year. They later divorced and in 1980 he married Elizabeth Ann Dahl, who preceded him in death in 2011.Bill was a licensed A&E Airplane mechanic and worked for the Montana Air National Guard, Skyway Flying Service, Holman Aviation and Rocky Mountain Air. He was also a certified welder and later opened his own welding shop which served the Great Falls community for many years.Bill had a love for the outdoors and enjoyed fishing, hunting, horses, arrow head hunting, gardening, playing guitar, and marksmanship. He was a captivating story teller. He had a passion for guns and shooting. He earned Life Master ratings in small bore rifle, small bore pistol, and high power rifle. He was a past member of the Beartooth Mountain Men muzzle loading club.Bill was a master at everything that he did. He was humble, a man of integrity, and was a loyal friend to many.Bill is survived by brothers Frederick Covely of California and Richard (Nancy) Covely of OR; children Darci Covely of Great Falls, Kurt Covely of ND, Jill (James) Corey of OR, Lynn Revels of Great Falls, and Janet (Blue) Corneliusen of Great Falls; stepsons Dwight (Marcie) Dahl of MT, Darvin (Jackie) Dahl of TX and Doug Dahl of AK, along with numerous nieces; nephews; grandchildren; and great grandchildren.A memorial service will be held in the spring pending notification. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Schnider Funeral Home.