Lewis L. 'Lou' Bain, 84

Lewis L. "Lou" Bain, 84, "went to the house of the Lord" on Friday April 20, 2007. Lou was born May 14, 1922, in Foremost, Alberta, to Oakford and Estella Robinson Bain. He was the youngest of six children, moving with his family to Essex soon after, then to Kalispell at the age of 2, where he resided most of the rest of his life. Times were tough during his early years, and he and his family lived in a tent later during the Great Depression.

Lou came from a broken family and learned the hard knocks of life at a tender age, when the unexpected death of his mother left him and a brother to scratch for themselves. As a youngster, he sometimes held down several jobs to meet expenses.

Lou attended elementary schools in Kalispell, and later Flathead County High School, where he was a standout all-around athlete. He was awarded an athletic scholarship at the University of Montana, a stint that was short-termed as he later entered the armed forces during World War II. Although physically handicapped, his early sense of responsibility led him to what he believed was his duty to serve his country.

Lou married his high-school sweetheart, Betty Schomer, on May 9, 1942. They traveled to various Army bases, where he served as an academic and military instructor. He became an expert in all small arms, and administered basic training to hundreds of Army inductees, preparing them for overseas military service.

After Lou was discharged from the Army in 1946, he held down a combination of jobs, beginning with an advertising agency, then advertising and printing salesman, and as a sports reporter for the Kalispell News.

In 1961, he became a partner-owner of O'Neil Printers and Office Supply. He later added business machines and office furniture to his product line, focusing on furniture and interior decorating. He sold the business in the mid-1970s, finishing out his career as an office-furniture salesman. Many of Kalispell's professional offices were the result of his decorating expertise.

He was very active in a number of civic and fraternal organizations during the early part of his business career. Lou became very active in veterans affairs, and served through all the chairs in the American Legion Post No. 7, the Legion District No. 4, as well as the Legion Honor Society, the Forty and Eight, of which he served the highest office of Chef de gare. He advanced to the position of Montana senior vice commander of the American Legion, and was tabbed as Legion state commander, a position he declined to accept since he was burdened with numerous other business and social activities. During his 25 years in veterans affairs, he also published a monthly newspaper carrying the banner of the veteran known as The Topkicker.

Lou and Betty had six children, five boys and one girl, all of whom were raised in Kalispell. During their childhoods, Lou spent a great deal of time teaching them the fine art of athletics. In prep school, he was especially proud of their accomplishments in their athletic endeavors. He was their most ardent fan. Altogether they share a Flathead High School family record, being awarded 52 letters along with many other honors in athletics before continuing their activities in college, where they were awarded 11 additional letters.

The tradition has carried among his grandchildren, who claimed an additional 65 letters in football, basketball, track and baseball.

Lou was a member and eventual president of the original Downtown Coaches Club, and later was one of the organizers of the Braves Bench. He once constructed a miniature athletic complex in his oversized yard, featuring pits for vaulting, high jumping, a runway for hurdles, a shot put and discus pad, a long jump pit and a wooden basketball court. The complex was the center of attraction for youngsters throughout the Evergreen area until much of it was destroyed by the great flood of 1964.

Lou especially cherished the Yule season and kids, when the true meaning of Christmas was exemplified as a menagerie of beautiful handmade displays came to life with more than 25,000 colorful lights covering a spacious lot centered by a home, every inch of which was covered with lights, from foundation to roof. Over the years, it became known as Santa's Home, attracting carolers, children and adults alike, as throngs cluttered the nearby streets from Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond.

When the years caught up with Lou, the Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce perpetuated a large portion of the project, erecting part of it for public display at Marantette Park. The official Columbia Falls parade, signaling the beginning of the shopping season, ends each year at Marantette Park, where the lights are turned on, unveiling the display from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day.

Over the years, Lou collected many photos of the valley and wrote countless articles about sports and historical data, and occasionally published books, becoming a historian in time.

In recognition of his long and outstanding devotion to athletics, he was honored when the Legends Stadium Committee named him among the first six inductees into the Flathead High School Hall of Fame. Qualifications for his nomination included his being all-state in football and co-captain of Flathead's first state championship football team in 1939, and co-captain of the basketball and track teams. He set school records in four track events - the high hurdles, low hurdles, high jump and pole vault - three of which lasted more than 20 years, and was state champion in the pole vault.

He was editor of the Flathead High sports programs from 1947 until 2006, chronicling many of Flathead sports accomplishments, present and historical, in the programs and as sports reporter for the Kalispell Weekly News from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. He was author of several books including "Down The Years, 1898-1998, Flathead High School," "Flathead Valley Yesteryear," "Kalispell - The First 100 Years," and books on Bigfork, Somers and Whitefish.

Lou was a kind, gentle and generous person.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Estella and Oakford Bain; his wife of 61 years, Betty; three brothers, Arthur, Richard and Neil; and two sisters, Joyce Reynolds and Bernadine Cork.

Lou is survived by his five sons, Frank Bain and wife, Barbara, of Turner, Ore.; Ron Bain and wife, Bonnie, of Kalispell; Doug Bain and wife, Vivian, of Salem, Ore.; Dan Bain of Kalispell, and Scott Bain and his wife, Desiree, of Henderson, Nev.; and one daughter, Mary Kay Allison, of Columbia Falls; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Lou's life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Christian Center Assembly of God Church in Kalispell, with the Rev. Dwayne Scheindmantle of the Canyon Community Church of Martin City officiating.

A fund has been established for Flathead High Athletics; in his memory, donations may be forwarded to the Flathead High School Activities Department in Kalispell.

Military honors will be provided by United Veterans of the Flathead Valley. After the military honors in the parking lot, a reception will be held in the activities center at the church.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.