Alan W. Opp, 85

Alan W. Opp, 85, died peacefully in his Kalispell home on Wednesday morning, April 27, 2011. He was a longtime resident of Flathead County.

Born in Whitefish in 1925, his family moved to Kalispell in 1926. During his senior year of high school, he moved with his mother and siblings to Anchorage, Alaska, where he resided for a few years and graduated from high school.

He spent the next several years in the Army infantry where he served mostly in Europe. He was severely wounded by German mortar fire, and after spending months in the hospital, was discharged.

Alan then went to Montana State University, graduating in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

While attending MSU, he met and married Stella Goodreau and had three children, David, Richard and Cindy. Al and Stella resided in Kalispell where Alan worked as an accountant for the Aluminum Plant for the next 28 years.

In 1981, Stella was killed in a car accident. Shortly after that Al married Shirley Knudsen who had three children, Pete, George and Marcia.

In 1983, Al retired and he and his wife Shirley became snowbirds, spending winters in Mesa, Ariz., and summers in Kalispell. While in Arizona, he and Shirley were quite active and had many friends they enjoyed being with. Al especially loved playing pool every morning with the pool league.

During the summers in Kalispell, Al and Shirley spent many weekends taking their grandkids camping and fishing, particularly in the Thompson River country. Al loved to fish, camp and play golf, and enjoyed reading books on Montana history. One of his favorite hobbies was woodworking, where he won many awards for his various pieces.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Opp, of Kalispell; son, David Opp, of Nevada; son, Richard Opp, of Tennessee; and daughter, Cindy Ostrom, of Federal Way, Wash.; and stepdaughter, Marcia Brown, of Kalispell.

Al was loved by all who met him. He was generous, kind and friendly, and loved his family and friends. We will all miss him greatly.

A memorial service will be held this summer.