Blake Michael Hendrick, 60

Blake Michael Hendrick, 60, passed away quietly in his sleep in the early morning hours of Feb. 10, 2010, at his home, with his wife and daughter at his bedside. Blake was born to Daniel L. and Margie L. (Eicher) Hendrick in Boulder, Colo., Jan. 29, 1950, where he grew up and excelled in sports. His Little League All-Star baseball team was one win away from going to the Little League World Series. He played football, basketball and baseball for Fairview High School (and played for the state championship in football in 1967), and was honored with many All-State team awards. Blake then attended the United States Air Force Academy where he played football and baseball and later served his country in Korea. After leaving the Air Force, Blake became a contracting officer and worked for the Department of Defense and later for the USDA Forest Service. In 1977, Blake married Shirley Ann McKown and they made their home in Mountain Home, Idaho, where their daughter, Kara Ann, was born in 1980. Travis Ryan joined the family in 1981 in Olympia, Wash., while Blake was working for the Olympic National Forest. In 1989, Blake and his family moved to the Okanogan Valley in north central Washington to work for the Okanogan National Forest, where they lived on a 10-acre farm, raising steers, alfalfa hay, and a large garden. Blake coached Travis s Little League All-Star team to the state tournament, which it hadn t been to in nearly 25 years. As both kids were attending college, Blake and Shirley moved to Kalispell to work for the Flathead National Forest. Blake retired in 2005 so that he could spend more time on the golf course and on plans to build their dream home. In 2006, the new home was built, and in 2007, both kids were married ( five weeks apart), Kara to Bill Lamb of Spokane, and Travis to Ashley Jeffris of Peshastin, Wash. In 2008 and 2009, Blake was teaching contract law classes to government agencies through NPI, Inc. (Edmonds, Wash.), and doing quite a bit of traveling. Future trips in 2010 were to have Shirley tag along for some sightseeing. In August 2009, Blake s first grandchild, Autry Londyn, was born in Las Vegas to Travis and Ashley, and he and Shirley were there to enjoy her. A few days after returning home, Blake was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which had been causing memory problems. Surgery was not an option so the prognosis was four to eight months of remaining life. After routine radiation and initial chemo treatments, Blake died on Feb. 10. He will be cremated and buried at a later time in Spokane Memorial Gardens Cemetery near Spokane. Blake is survived by immediate family mentioned above, as well as his mother, Margie Hendrick, of Boulder; father, Dan Hendrick, and stepmother, Arlene, of Columbia Falls; brother, Dan Hendrick, and wife, Sue, of Niwot, Colo., and their children, Jenny and Matt; sister, Jana McCarter, of Kerrville, Texas, and her children, Kelly and Jake; an extensive step-family; and many aunts, uncles and cousins spread around the country. Blake was known for his great sense of humor, his fairness with everyone he worked with, his love of the game of golf (especially his 7 iron), and most of all, for the love of his family. A celebration of Blake s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 20, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations go to benefit Home Options Hospice, Kalispell, in Blake s memory, or the United States Air Force Academy, where checks should be written to The Air Force Academy Fund in memory of graduate Blake Hendrick 72 and mailed to the USAFA Endowment, 3316 Academy Drive, Suite 200, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475. Cards can be mailed to the family at 10 Strawberry View Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901. If you plan to attend the celebration, we ask that you bring your favorite stories to share about Blake and a packet of wildflower seeds that will be used to make a memorial garden. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Blake s family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Blake s tribute wall.