Larry Hefty, 43

Larry Hefty, 43, "went home to be with the Lord" on Thursday morning, Jan. 4, 2007, after a year long battle with cancer and kidney failure. He died peacefully at home in the presence of family and friends, content that he had done much of what he set out to do in life, leaving behind no regrets.

Larry will always be remembered as a vibrant, fun loving man, with a mischievous sense of humor. A dedicated father and friend, he was known for being a man of his word and a man of integrity, vision and selflessness.

Larry was a man of many talents and interests. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, reading, traveling, playing music, recording/engineering and teaching. He was especially fond of world and missions history, and of volunteering his knowledge and skills in other cultures. He loved the challenge of big projects and was often called upon to pull together people and resources for everything from concert tours and international arts festivals to world premier theatre productions.

Larry was born on July 5, 1953 in Lewistown, the son of Harry and Echo Hefty. After graduating from Stanford High in 1971, he attended two years of Bible school in Briercrest in Canada. In 1975, he took mission training through Youth With a Mission in Bozeman where he met his wife Becky, whom he married in Sept. 1977.

For the next six years, they traveled throughout the U.S. full time with their gospel band, Shekinah. In 1985, they moved to Lakeside, and helped launch a new Youth With A Mission training facility where they lived, served and raised their family of adopted children for the next seventeen years. Larry served as the director of the performing and fine arts division, helping to launch programs in music, dance, theater and recording.

After a brief stay in Singapore in 2001 through 2002, Larry and his family returned to the Kalispell area where he divided his time between a position as an associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church and traveling and teaching internationally.

Larry was preceded in death by his father Harry Hefty, and his grandparents, Ethyl and Rupert McCafferty.

He is survived by his wife Becky and their three children, Jennifer and Daniel Hefty of Kalispell and Asher currently deployed to Bahrain; his mother, Echo Hefty of Kalispell; one sister, Sandy Reeder of Camano Island, Wash.; two brothers, Barry Hefty of Santee, Calif. and Garry Hefty of Belgrade, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 at Faith Lutheran Church at 405 Liberty Street; with Rev. Steve Snipstead officiating. Visitation will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the church. There will be a luncheon and memorial time in the fellowship hall of the church afterward. Burial will follow at Conrad Memorial Cemetery. The family suggests that any memorial contributions be sent to Stillwater Christian School, 1251 Willow Glen Road, Kalispell, MT 59901 or to a College trust fund for the Hefty children % Mountain West Bank, 444 W. Idaho, Kalispell, MT 59901.

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