Theodore Murphy Rollins, 87
Ted Rollins passed away on Sept. 28, 2012, in his sleep at the Prestige Assisted Living facility in Kalispell.
He was born on Jan. 20, 1925.
Ted was a proud Army Veteran of the Second World War.
He served as a sergeant in a weapons platoon and was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, France. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s badge and wore it with honor. Ted returned to civilian life and graduated from the University of Montana in forestry and worked for the Forest Service in Western Montana as a pilot of fire spotting fixed-wing aircraft. He returned to University of Montana for a Masters in Education, and started a long and rewarding career as a teacher and administrator in high schools. He retired as superintendent of schools in a three-county district centered in Troy.
Ted was pre-deceased by his father and mother, Theodore Roosevelt Rollins and Inez Murphy Rollins; his sister, Janet Rollins Kind; and his nephews, Theodore Allen Rollins, Gary and Michael Kind, and Michael Mingo.
He is survived by his fist wife, Helen Lund Rollins and their children, Doug Rollins, Ann Rollins and Jeff Collins of Missoula; his loving wife, Donna Mefford Rollins, continues to reside in the Prestige facility in Kalispell, under their excellent care and tutelage; Donna’s grandson Kent Paro, wife Christy and daughters Payton and Kiley of Tampa, Fla.
Ted’s surviving siblings are Tom Rollins and his wife, Mary, of Houston, their son, Tom and wife, Victoria, of McLean, Va., and their children Tommy and Kay; sister, Marie Rollins Mingo and her daughter, Michele Mingo Justice, husband Simon and children Philipa and twins Alec and Charles of Corvallis, Ore., Marie’s son, Noel and wife Gianna of Eugene, Ore.; and Janet’s surviving children, Donna, Ronald, John and Dion, all of Salt Lake City.
Upon retirement Ted and Donna purchased a lot in Rollins, founded in the early 1900s by his grandfather Willard and Uncle Renault Rollins.
They were pillars of this community and Ted served Rollins as everything from mayor and fire chief to janitor of the community hall. They attended the Dayton Presbyterian church, where Ted was an elder. This congregation has been stalwart in their dedication to Ted and Donna and have cheered them immensely by visiting in the past six months confinement. An example of the Rollins residents generosity was shown when Ted required open heart surgery, his neighbors and son Doug pitched in and completed construction of their home on Rimrock Drive.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Dayton Presbyterian Church. At a private family ceremony, Ted’s ashes will be interred beside his father, mother and nephew in Lakeview Cemetery in Polson where the three generations of Ted Rollins will be remembered.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Dayton Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 188, Dayton, MT 59914 or a veterans organization of your choice.