Claudia Walseth, 73

Claudia Walseth, 73, died at Edgewood Vista memory care facility in Kalispell on Sept. 3, 2012, from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. 

Born June 23, 1939, in Butte, to Preston and Ann (Bull) Dobb, Claudia spent a majority of her childhood living in Missoula. She attended Paxon Middle School, and graduated from the newly established Missoula Sentinel High School in 1957. 

After graduation, she worked for a short time at the Missoula Telephone Company until she met and married the love of her life, Raymond B. Walseth, on July 3, 1958, and made a life with him and their three sons in Missoula.      

Claudia dedicated her life and almost all of her time to being a full-time mom to her “boys.”

After a long battle with cancer took the life of Raymond, “RB,” in the fall of 1987, Claudia went back to work, and eventually retired after a 16-year career with the University of Montana Foundation in 2004.  

Claudia enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and doting on her grandchildren every chance she could get. She treasured her friendships and was always responsive to her loved ones’ needs. She put others’ well-being before her own and truly would do anything for anyone who needed her help.  

She enjoyed the act of giving and spent much of the year thinking, planning and saving for future holidays and events. She expected only love in return and often disregarded praise directed towards her. She also liked to bake.  Her love for this activity always resulted in the timely arrival of seasonal cookies and treats packaged with love for her children and grandchildren, regardless of how close or far away they may have been. 

She shared many friendships and was very close to many of her high school classmates and her wonderful neighbors. 

During her lifetime, she participated in various organizations. She worked with the Shriners organization via the Bagdad women’s mini patrol chapter of which her husband was a member. She also participated in the local Compassionate Friends ceremonies and dinners. Those who were close to Claudia knew that beyond the love she had for her family and friends, she treasured her home and her neighborhood. Her home represented past memories and a life filled with hopes, challenges, laughs and successes; and her neighbors were her extended family whom she supported in their times of need, and whom she could count on when she needed a helping hand. Above all, she led a life filled with unconditional love.

Claudia was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond; their son, Daniel; parents, Preston and Ann; brother, William Dobb; and sister, Audrey Tangen.

Survivors include sons, Brad and Melody of Twin Lakes, Wis., and Dean and Erin of Kalispell; granddaughters, Angela and Peyton; grandsons, Dustin, Dylan, Benjamin and Jack; and great-grandson, Dante. 

Services will be held at 11 a.m., Sept. 14, at Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula, with a reception following. There will be a private burial for the family at Sunset Memorial Cemetery. 

The family invites all of Claudia’s family and friends to come and celebrate her life with them. It is Claudia’s request that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made in her name to the Montana Cancer Center, Compassion Fund, P.O. Box 4587, Missoula, MT 59806.