Crane man's memorial flies high
<p>Lake Swank crane operator Fred Winston looks out over Kalispell on Thursday afternoon, January 12, as he works on the Surgical Services addition to the Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Winston died of complications due to cancer on Wednesday, July 18, at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Winston, 59, of Missoula, was a union crane operator through the Local 400. He became a crane operator in 1979 and had worked for Swank since 2000. According to Jeff Halsey, foreman for Swank Construction at the crane at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center expansion project, said that Winston had…
<p>The “R.I.P. Freddy” banner placed atop the tower crane in Kalispell is in memory of union crane operator Fred Winston.</p>
A memorial to a longtime crane operator now flies 160 feet above the ground at his recent workplace.
A banner reading “R.I.P. Freddy” was attached to the tower crane at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on Thursday.
A day earlier, Fred Winston died of complications from cancer at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.
Jeff Halsey, a foreman for Swank Enterprises, said the banner will remain up until the crane comes down in mid-September at the construction site for the hospital’s Surgical Services addition.
Winston, 59, of Missoula, was a union crane operator through Local 400. He became a crane operator in 1979 and had worked for Swank since 2000. According to Halsey, Winston had run every kind of crane possible.
“He’s run rough terrains, truck cranes, friction rigs and tower cranes,” Halsey said.
A celebration of life for Winston will be held at the Lolo Community Center on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.