F. Charles 'Chuck' Mercord, 73

Frederick Charles "Chuck" Mercord died Friday, Dec. 31, 2004, at his residence in Lakeside after a three-month battle with cancer.

Chuck was born Dec. 5, 1931, in Kalispell. His parents were Milton and Louise Mercord, both deceased. He was a fourth-generation resident of the valley; his great-grandparents homesteaded south of Somers in 1894. His father, a commercial painter and a building contractor, was one of the five founders in 1955 of First Federal Savings and Loan, which has grown and evolved to be today's Glacier Bank system.

After graduating from Flathead High School, Chuck commenced a five-year architectural program at Montana State University. The Korean War heated up, and he switched to an industrial arts major so he could graduate in four years and join the Air Force. He flew jets for three years, and continued flying after leaving the service, first piloting a 1932 Stinson for the Forest Service. After a brief sojourn in the aerospace industry in California, he went back to flying in Montana, first for Plum Creek and subsequently for Johnson Flying Service in Missoula.

In 1961, Chuck began an exemplary 31-year career in banking, as a teller for First Federal. He served as president and managing officer of the organization from 1977 to 1989, during which time the firm went public as First Federal Savings in 1984. Chuck stepped up to the role of chairman and CEO of the institution, by then named Glacier Bank, in 1989, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1992. He continued as a director until April of 2004.

Beyond his efforts for Glacier Bank itself, Chuck served his industry in various capacities. He was a director for more than a decade of the U.S. League of Savings and Loan Associations, held a three-year term as a director of the regional Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, and served a similar term as a director of the Helena Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Chuck married Kathryn Jasken nearly 40 years ago, on March 20, 1965. They had two children. Leslie was born in 1968; she is married to Reed Blackburn, and has a stepdaughter, Kirsten. Their home is in Whitefish. Brad was born in 1971; he is married to Corie Bruley. They have two daughters, Maddi and Laci. Their home is in the county, southwest of Kalispell.

Chuck and Kathy have been unselfish contributors to the area's betterment and well-being throughout their marriage, which has been duly recognized by the community. They were designated to receive the United Way Points of Light Award in 2003. Last year, The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation bestowed its Eagle Award on Chuck, and this fall the couple were named recipients of the 33rd Great Chief Award by the Kalispell Area Chamber of Commerce. This designation was stated to honor their civic and volunteer spirit that spans a lifetime and provides a legacy for the community. The citation went on to say that "through their efforts, the Mercords have made the Flathead Valley a better place in which to live and work."

Chuck and Kathy were early supporters of the community college, and were instrumental in its growth and the move to its present campus; Chuck served on its foundation board for years. His other board and community committee memberships included Northwest Healthcare Foundation, the Flathead Lakers, the Hockaday Museum of Art, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, the Central School Museum, the Immanuel Lutheran Development Advisory Committee, the Kalispell Development Corporation, and the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center [TAAC] in Seattle. Chuck was an active member of the Kalispell Rotary Club for 32 years, and a charter member of Northridge Lutheran Church.

In all his commitments, Chuck was energetic, positive, tenacious and visionary. As a founder of the Kalispell Development Corporation, he drove the facilitating of the Kalispell Center Mall via federal financing through HUD grants. For the Flathead Lakers and other organizations, he worked devotedly to enlist fellow citizens as directors and contributors of time and treasure to pertinent causes. In this way, he fostered elevated energy and accomplishment for many organizations in addition to his own contributions. Most recently, he had worked tirelessly to foster capital gifts in support of the ALERT program as a member of the Northwest Healthcare Foundation, and single-handedly achieved his vision of the beach and picnic area developed along U.S. 93 in Somers, persuading state and local agencies and numerous local citizens to convert a blighted highway border into an attractive and functional community asset.

Chuck's energy and competitiveness were widely recognized. In 1949, he was state Class B hydro champion, and placed second in the 1962 B hydro national championships at Moses Lake, Wash. In 1965 he set a world speed record of 60 mph in C class hydroplane racing in Oregon, a record which stood for 10 years. Later in life, he concentrated on sailboat racing, and in 1994 acquired a 29-foot Young 88 New Zealand vessel. He campaigned "KIWI BOAT" in various waters under the flag of the North Flathead Yacht Club with son Brad as helmsman. They and their crews raced three years in the famous Whidbey Island Race Week, finishing successively second in class, first in class and first overall. Those successes led to winning the Seattle Grand Prix, North Sails Race Week in Long Beach, Calif., the Stone Cup in San Francisco Bay, and to competition in the Key West World Competition Regatta.

In addition to his immediate family, Chuck is survived by his brother Brice and sister-in-law Melissa, of Colorado, and their three children and their two grandchildren. Further, Chuck is survived by a legion of friends and fellow contributors to the well-being of Flathead Valley.

Services for Chuck will occur on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 3 p.m. at Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell. Following, there will be a celebration of his life and reception at the Mackinaw Grill in Somers, at approximately 4:30 p.m.

At the family's request, memorials may be sent to Northwest Healthcare Foundation, 310 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901 with designation to the ALERT program or the cancer center; to Flathead Valley Community College Foundation at 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901; or to the Flathead Lakers, P.O. Box 70, Polson, MT 59860.