Charles Leaphart Hash, 86

Charles Leaphart Hash, 86, died Sept. 16, 2007. He was born Sept. 6, 1921, in Billings, the only child of Sarah Francis (Leaphart) Hash and Charles Jackson Hash. His family moved to Kalispell, where he attended Central School and Cornelius Hedges School at the school's inception.

As a young boy, he was a member of the 'Seven Terrors Club,' known to protect their fort with their weapon of choice — greased horse chestnuts.

In 1932, his family moved to Missoula. Shortly after the move, his father, who was the assistant supervisor for the Lolo National Forest Service, was killed by a lightning strike. Hash Mountain, located at the source of Lost Johnny Creek in the Flathead National Forest, is named in his honor.

After losing his father, Charles resided with his maternal relatives William and Mary Leaphart and their children in Washington, D.C. While there, he graduated in 1939 from Woodrow Wilson High School.

During World War II, he served four years with the 15th Air Force as a bombardier, with overseas duty in Italy.

After the war, in 1946, he married Margaret Louise Draper in Bel Air, Md. With the assistance of the G.I. Bill, he then attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Upon graduation, he convinced his new wife that Montana was the 'best new place to be.'

It was 'Montana or Bust' as Charles and Peggy piloted a 1936 Ford Phaeton to Missoula to attend law school, where his Uncle Bill Leaphart was the dean. In 1951, he received his law degree from the University of Montana, where he was editor of the Law Review.

He then wanted to attend medical school or homestead in Alaska with a good friend and colleague. However, Peggy convinced him that it was time to settle down, and they hoped to establish roots in the Flathead Valley where Charles had spent much of his boyhood. Their plans were delayed when he was accepted as a law clerk for Federal Judge Walter Pope at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

In 1952, Charles and Peggy finally came to the Flathead, and he began practice in Kalispell, first with Baldwin and Baldwin, and then with D. Gordon Rognlien. Later, Ken O'Brien joined the firm of Rognlien and Hash. The firm evolved to include Dean Jellison, Jim Bartlett, Charles' son, Mark Hash, and Anne Biby.

Representing a wide range of clients, Charles practiced law full-time until his death. In 1955, he participated in the formation of First Federal Savings and Loan Association (now Glacier Banc Corp. Inc.) and had been an attorney for them ever since.

Charles was known for his civic mindedness. He was chairman of the Flathead County Central Democratic Committee for three terms. He also served on the City-County Planning Board, the Flathead National Forest Advisory Council, and the Montana Board of National Resources. In addition, he was a member of various school boards and many service organizations.

Charles was a conservationist, supporting the preservation of the pristine quality of Montana's natural resources. He treasured nature and was an avid fly fisherman, being drawn to the rivers 'to restore his soul.' Peggy often lamented, 'Why does a fish have to be included in all our family trips?'

He is survived by his wife, Margaret 'Peggy'; his son, Mark, and his wife, Tere, and their children, Nicholas and Meagan; and his daughter, Sarah 'Sally' Hash-Savage, and her husband, Dr. Dan Savage, all of Kalispell.

A memorial celebration of Charles's life will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Kalispell. A reception will be afterward at the Central High School Museum.

Friends of the family wishing to make gifts in his memory may consider the Hockaday Museum of Art or the Central School Museum, both in Kalispell.