Salute to Gipe; farewell to Ross, Mercord

Public service in the Flathead has attracted many dedicated citizens over the years, but few have been as well-liked as Howard Gipe.

Gipe left his public role behind this week after 18 years as a county commissioner. He also served a hitch in the Air Force, two terms on the Chinook school board in the 1960s, and had a long career in the Montana Highway Patrol.

During his years on the board of commissioners, Gipe became known as someone who would listen, someone who would work and someone who would get things done.

At the age of 73, you would think he would now be ready to retire. But Howard has other ideas. For now, he is going to work as business manager for a friend who has commercial interests across the state.

We wish him well.

Two other well-known local names must also be cited this week, but sadly it is to say farewell.

Chet Ross and Chuck Mercord have both died, but both will be long remembered for their many accomplishments and contributions to the betterment of the Flathead Valley.

Ross is best known as one of the founders of Flathead Valley Community College, and he served an extraordinary 34 years as a member of its board of trustees.

In September, the college board voted to name the science and technology building Ross Hall in his honor.

Ross also should be remembered for his heroic service in World War II, when he was a member of the fabled Devil's Brigade, a Canadian/American special forces unit that was the predecessor of today's Green Berets and Navy Seals.

Celebrated for never failing any mission, the elite unit was instrumental in freeing Rome. The Italian people, young and old, remember the high price paid for their liberation by the Devil's Brigade. Of three regiments of 600 men each, 500 died and many others were wounded two and three times.

Chuck Mercord was a fourth-generation resident of the Flathead. His great-grandparents homesteaded south of Somers in 1894. His father, a commercial painter and building contractor, was one of the founders in 1955 of First Federal Savings and Loan, which later became Glacier Bank.

Mercord, too, eventually went into banking and had a 31-year career with First Federal and Glacier Bank, including a stint as president and managing officer of the organization from 1977 to 1989. He was also chairman and CEO of Glacier Bank from 1989 to 1992.

Like Ross, Mercord was an early supporter of Flathead Valley Community College and was honored by the college's foundation with an Eagle Award. He served on the foundation board for many years and was also active in many civic organizations such as 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, and the Kalispell Development Corp.

Both men were giants in our community. They will both be missed.