Charles Patrick Bouchard, 77

Just days are his beloved wife, Helen, passed away, Charles 'Pat' Patrick Bouchard joined her, passing away 'peacefully in his sleep', Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006.

He was born Feb. 3, 1929, in Missoula, to Joseph Albert Bouchard and Cynthia Taggert Bouchard, the second of four boys.

Pat grew up in Bonner with a great respect and love for the outdoors. He loved to ski, hunt, fish — you name it, and he tried it at least once. Once he left his parents' home, he joined the Navy and then the Forest Service. He spent many years with Mountain Bell and then his own company, CP Communications.

While working for the Forest Service, he met his future wife, Helen. They had a whirlwind courtship, and three months later they married on Oct. 14,1950, in Bonner.

They retired in 1992 to Finley Point on his native Flathead Indian Reservation, where family gatherings were the center of his life, along with the Finley Point Volunteer Fire Department and the community.

Pat is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Helen; his parents and brothers, Joseph 'Beez' Bouchard and Michael 'Mike' Bouchard.

Pat leaves behind his younger brother, John 'Sandy' Bouchard and his wife, Joan; four children, Patty Sikora, Terry Voeller and her husband, Jerry, Alan Bouchard, and Dawn Castaneda and her husband, Julio; 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren with another expected in January.

A funeral mass is planned for the summer of 2007 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Polson. In memory of Charles Patrick Bouchard, please support the Helping Hands Ministry at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.