Timothy Lee Lemburg, 66

Timothy Lee Lemburg, Papa, passed away June 1, 2010, following a courageous battle with cancer. Tim was born on July 25, 1943, to Marvin Henry Lemburg and Betty Lou Pearcy, both of whom preceded him in death. Tim served as a boiler operator in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Pritchett during the Vietnam War where he sustained injuries to his legs during an on-ship boiler accident. Following his military service, Tim was a power plant operator until 1981 when he retired due to disability. During his early 20s, Tim broke his hip in an accident that lead to ongoing challenges for the duration of his life. However, Tim refused to allow his physical disabilities to dictate the way he lived. Refusing to rely upon crutches or a wheelchair, as his doctors repeatedly recommended, Tim instead wore out a total of six hip replacements, in addition to having both knees replaced, to maintain his ability to walk and remain active. Tim loved the mountains and was an avid fisherman. He was particularly fond of stream fishing and only wished that he had discovered the joy of fly fishing earlier in his life. He was also a terrific cook and the type of guy you wanted to have around when just about anything broke. Above all, he loved his family and found particular joy in his 11 grandchildren. He is survived by Judy, his loving wife of 27 years; his sons, Scott and Julie, Jon and Angela, and Steve and Brooke; his stepdaughter, Shannon McMillian, and Barry; and 11 grandchildren, Matthew, Hannah, Bailey, Brianna Kyle M., Evan, Gage, Peyton, Makayla, Kyle L., and Jacob. The family would like to extend special thanks to those at the Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center who took such wonderful care of Tim during his final month. He appreciated you very much, as do we. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., July 2, at his son s home, 1020 Lemburg Lane, in Columbia Falls.