Patrick 'Pat' Franklin Oliver, 84

Patrick “Pat” Franklin Oliver died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Patrick was born March 17, 1928, to Katie and Ira Oliver in Arkansas where he spent much of his childhood. From a young age his stepfather was C.A. Welch.

During early adulthood, he lived in Illinois and Indiana where his children were born.

He completed college at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., with degrees in biology in 1966.

In Muncie, he met and married Jeanette Clements Oliver, his wife of 48 years. During and after college, he owned and operated a small chain of building materials stores. Following early retirement in 1972, he moved to Montana where he enjoyed hunting, fishing, shooting, Brittany spaniels, classical music and reading.

He, Jeanette and his son Michael built a house high in the mountains near Helmville. Pat, Jeanette and the dogs enjoyed the challenge of living in the remote location there year round for four full years and several summers. Winters were rugged and travel involved a 32-mile round trip by snowmobile just to go to the post office.

Pat spent the winters from 1977 to the spring of 1980 in Farmington, N.M. He moved to Kalispell in the fall of 1980 and had lived there since that time.

Patrick was active in shooting sports and founded a target shooting organization for young people. Further, he was active in the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla for several years. In the Auxiliary, he served as division staff officer for career counseling.  He enjoyed the Auxiliary extremely, but felt it necessary to quit as hearing and health started to fail. Over the years, he occasionally filled in teaching biology at Flathead Valley Community College when Jeanette was away for scientific meetings or extended field trips.

Patrick was preceded in death by a son, Michael J. Oliver, and a half brother, Morgan Welch.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanette; a daughter from an earlier marriage, Deborah Oliver, of Indianapolis, and her adult children, Robert and Suzanne Kloepfer of Milwaukee, Wis. He is further survived by grandchildren, Patrick M. Oliver of Cheney, Wash., and Amanda Oliver Hargis of DuQuoin, Ill.; his three great-grandchildren are Kaitlynn Oliver, Jared Oliver and Olivia Hargis. He is survived by half sister Ruth Welch Finley of Lonoke, Ark., and half brother, James Welch of Texas, and their families.  

We wish to thank the nice nurses at Kalispell Regional Medical Center who were with us at the end. Thanks to the several doctors who have provided recent care.

Memorials may be made to Flathead Valley Community College Biology Department in lieu of flowers.

 Visitation will take place from 9 a.m to noon on Friday, March 1, in the Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Chapel. Graveside services and burial will follow at 2 p.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Patrick’s family. You are invited to www.jgfuneralhome.com to view Patrick’s tribute wall, offer condolences and share memories.