Alan Damphier, 63

Alan Damphier, 63, died June 4, 2007, at his home from ALS, or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Alan was born on Oct. 10, 1943, in Amersterdam, N.Y.

After high school he went into the U.S. Navy. He was stationed on the USS Ticonderoga which was dispatched to Cuba and then Vietnam in the mid-1960s.

He met his wife, Darlene Aton, in Los Altos, Calif.

He moved to Spokane where he worked for Patterson Dental and then Kar Products. This work required travel and that's how he discovered the Flathead Valley.

His early days in the car business were started at Roy Stanley Chevrolet in the mid-1980s. In June of 1990 he went to work for Korn Buick on Main Street in Kalispell, which the Scarff brothers bought in 1993. He continued to work there until ALS forced his retirement in November 2005.

One of Alan's favorite pastimes was fishing in the Flathead area. He also loved to tinker with computers and electronics and was active with his HAM radio.

Alan was always easygoing and quite easy to talk to.

Alan was preceded in death by his brother, David Damphier, who passed away in 1968; mother, Margaret Reiff Damphier, who passed away in 1984; and his father, Lester Damphier, who passed away in 1987.

Alan is survived by his son and best friend, Curtis Damphier, of Kalispell, who provided care for him over the last year and a half; his son, Jeff Damphier, and his wife, Amy, from Duvall, Wash., and their daughter, Haley; two grandchildren, Amber and Shawn, also from Kalispell; three brothers, Lester Damphier from Seymour, Tenn., Bruce Damphier from Gloversville, N.Y., and Paul Damphier from Albany, N.Y. His niece, Tammy, from New York, whom he was especially fond of, is among numerous nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place with Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. June 15 at Christ Church Episcopal, 215 Third Ave. East, Kalispell. Following the service there will be an informal wake for Alan, at about 7:30 pm, at the Montana Nugget Casino.