Gary A. Burt, 63

Gary A. Burt, 63, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2005, at Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork, after a long battle with progressive cognitive dementia.

He was born May 29, 1942, in Aitkin, Minn., to Harry O. and Evelyn (Smith) Burt.

Through the years of his life, Gary was a man of gifting and accomplishment. He was a teacher, an outdoorsman, a lover of dogs and horses, an athlete, a "mighty hunter." Gary loved music, people and spirited repartee. But more, even, Gary was a husband, a father, a grandfather; he was a man who lived life well, and loved and trusted the God he served.

Gary grew up on the lakes of northern Minnesota. He graduated from Bemidji High School in 1960 and went on to attend Bemidji State College. There, he was a talented track athlete, and to this day holds records in several of the sprint events.

During his college years, Gary switched his major from engineering to secondary education, with an emphasis in English. As he would be the first to explain - with his relentless joy in parsing words - teaching English was his "vocation," "voc" coming from the Latin word "to call." Truly, teaching was Gary's calling. He arrived in the Flathead in 1967, and during his 30 years at Flathead High School, he touched many lives, eventually teaching children of children before retiring in 1996.

During those years, Gary created and taught many innovative courses that were variations of Standard English. They included Technical Writing, SAT/ACT Prep, and "Literature for the Outdoorsman." Gary had inimitable style and force of personality, and his demand for excellence left lasting impressions on generations of students. Some loved "Mr. Burt," some didn't; but none forgot him.

During his years at Flathead High, Gary had a hand in a host of school-related activities. He was head track coach for a time, and sponsored the Outdoorsman Club. In the early '80s, Gary collaborated with the Alaska Writing Project, helping to institute a computer writing center at Flathead High; his was part of the pioneering work in a program that is now a part of every curriculum in the country. And though Gary taught many honors-level courses, he always had a heart for those who struggled with the language arts. His "Outdoor Lit" class grew out of a vision: creating a comfortable niche for those who disliked "English," but loved the outdoors.

Beyond the classroom, Gary was a man among men. He loved the beauty of the Flathead and was most at home with his pack string and hunting rifle. He loved the "High Lonely" - the upper reaches of Glacier Park, the Great Bear and The Bob Marshall. Early on, he was a summer park ranger in Glacier Park, one of those on duty during the "Night of the Grizzly." He raised his two sons, Justin and Brandon, to love the wilderness he knew intimately; his daughter, Courtenay, he taught to love the horses who took them there. And through their 32 years of marriage, he and his wife, Kay, left few of the Flathead's lovely places untraveled.

Gary was not afraid to take risks. Briefly, he tried his hand at running a small business, Pepper's Pizza, and learned to hand-toss true Italian pizzas. He also raised registered yellow Labradors for a time at his Creston farm. Those pups were a mainstay for Gary as he struggled to accept the limitations of his illness, and his enjoyment in them was exceeded only by one last, great gift: grandchildren.

Gary had a singular trait that perhaps defines him best. When cresting a mountain pass, Gary would make a point of stopping for one long look back, savoring the beauty and pressing it into memory. Even then, he seemed to know that he might not return, and in retrospect, he lived his life that way - "looking back" at the panorama, registering the beauty and design. And through his last, difficult battle with early-onset dementia, he continued to be thankful for what was most precious to him, his faith, family and friends.

Gary's was a life with few regrets. Like Thoreau, the great writer and woodsman whose literature he'd once taught, Gary chose to arrive at the end of his life knowing he had truly lived.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathleen "Kay" Riedel Burt, of Kalispell; two sons, Justin Burt and wife, Melanie, with grandchildren, Timothy, Faith, and Jonathan Burt, all of Kalispell, and Brandon Burt and wife, Megan, of Oregon City, Ore.; one daughter, Courtenay Catherine Burt, of Kalispell; two sisters, Bonnie Silver of Glaucester, Va., and Marlys Kingbird of Lebanon, Tenn.; and several much-loved nieces and a nephew.

Memorial services for Gary will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Bigfork Chapel, with Pastors Richard Stewart, Robert Ross and Robert Malberg officiating. There will be no visitation.

The family suggests memorials be given in Gary's name to: Hospice, Home Health Options, 175 Commons Loop, Ste. 100, Kalispell, MT 59901; or call the Brentwood Biomedical Research Institute at 310-260-3686.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Gary's family.