'A legacy most people can only dream about'

Longtime friends and colleagues say they will remember Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont as an effective leader, mentor and a man of unquestionable integrity and character.

Former Kalispell Police Chief Frank Garner, who retired the same day as Dupont in 2006, called Dupont’s death on Monday a tragic loss for Flathead County.

“I’ve known him since I was a kid,” Garner said. “He influenced me in getting into law enforcement. He was a mentor and a community leader who will be missed. He leaves a legacy most people can only dream about.”

That legacy includes Dupont’s leadership ability first and foremost, Garner said.

“He was able to bring people together who had a hard time finding common ground,” Garner said. “The outpouring you’ll see in this community will attest to his leadership. I’m not sure there’s a building big enough to hold everyone who will want to pay their respects.”

Dupont was known for an easy, open relationship with the public. And part of his effectiveness as both a sheriff and county commissioner was his ability to see issues and problems from the perspective of regular citizens, not as a bureaucrat.

A number of other close associates recalled special memories of Dupont shortly after word of his untimely death Monday morning.

Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher: “I loved Jim from the day I met him. He was sheriff when I was a prosecutor, and his wit, his charisma and his intelligence were admirable. He was magnetic and drew people from every walk of life to him. Even his critics respected him.

“Jim Dupont is responsible for my venture into politics. I had never considered running for office until Jim Dupont asked me to do so. He and I grew to be great friends and I considered him to be a mentor. I will miss him terribly and know without question that while the Flathead community has lost a great man, heaven has received a remarkable soul.”

Ted Lympus, Flathead district judge: “When he was sheriff and I was county attorney, Jim was such a pleasure to work with. He was very effective at getting things done, both as sheriff and county commissioner. The way he did things, accomplished so much, those with that kind of talent are few and far between. He’s all but irreplaceable.”

Lympus recalled the good-natured ribbing between Dupont and Garner at weekly Rotary meetings.

“Frank would always call Jim ‘the old sheriff,’” he said. “They did the Penguin Plunge together in Whitefish for years, and when people would ask Frank why in the world he wanted to jump into freezing water, he’d say, ‘I gotta do it to make sure the old sheriff gets out safely.’”

Joe Brenneman, former county commissioner: “This is a tremendous loss to Flathead County, and I want to express my condolences to his family. I thought Jim and I had an excellent working relationship. He always thought [the role of] county commissioner shouldn’t be partisan, and we got a lot of things done with that mindset. He always looked at differences on the merit of the issue, and that’s what we need in our leaders.”

Brenneman noted Dupont’s role in consolidating the county’s emergency response into a centralized 911 dispatch center. “His role in supporting that was vital and it was the right thing to do ... he was a big supporter of communications for public safety.”

Wendy Ostrom-Price, former radio announcer, current public relations officer for Flathead Electric Cooperative: “Jim was one of the most full-of-life, charismatic people I have ever known, so his death is difficult to fathom. 

“When I nominated Jim for the Great Chief award (Dupont and Frank Garner shared the honor that year) it wasn't just because he wore the badge of sheriff, it was the ‘way’ he wore it. Jim was the real deal in that he genuinely cared about people and this community. He believed in service and doing what he could to make life better for all of us, and he was giving of himself until the end.

“Personally, to know Jim was to love him. You could always count on him to find the humor in a situation. Despite seeing the ugly side of humanity, Jim was not hardened by life. He was a sage leader, but was also boyishly charming and endearing. 

“Jim's legacy is too far-reaching to properly articulate, but he absolutely changed the course of this county when he took the helm, and he has been a positive influence ever since. I'm smiling just thinking about him.

“In urging Jim to run for sheriff, my dad [George Ostrom] says he was among those who recognized early on that Jim possessed a special strength of character. He said they knew he would be an outstanding sheriff, and that he surpassed even their high expectations.”

JoAnn Speelman Dramer, former Inter Lake law enforcement reporter: “Jim was caring, sensitive and very loyal to his employees. In all my years [as a reporter] he was always honest with me and trusted me, and it worked both ways. He expected honesty and trust from me.

“He definitely wouldn’t shrink from his responsibilities. He didn’t back down at all, and he wasn’t afraid to step in if he felt people weren’t doing their jobs. He held their feet to the fire.

“Even though he was popular as sheriff, there’s always some politics involved, but he had the ability to cross political lines. When he ran for commissioner I asked him why he wanted to do that instead of just enjoying retirement and he told me, ‘The people gave me an opportunity to serve them [as sheriff] and I want to give something back to the community.’”

Chery Sabol, former Inter Lake law enforcement reporter: “I really enjoyed working with Jim. He dealt with some difficult situations [as sheriff] with a lot of integrity. He brought a lot of good grace to any situation.

“I loved his kid-at-heart sense of humor. We had him over to my house one Thanksgiving, just a month after my dad had died,” and although many family members weren’t sure they felt like celebrating, “Jim just started telling stories and we wound up having such a nice evening. He had a good eye for detail personally and professionally, and that made him such a good storyteller.”

Howard Gipe, former county commissioner: “He was an outstanding law officer and we were very fortunate to have him as sheriff.

“He was a people person. He enjoyed people and he understood people and he was willing to do what was best for people and the community.”

Gipe said Dupont’s death will be a challenge for the remaining two commissioners because of the leadership role Dupont had on the commission.

“Jim was a capable commissioner. It takes a smart person two years to get their feet on the ground with that job and four to five years for most people to understand it.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.