Joseph B. 'Joe' Fiala II, 94

Joseph B. “Joe” Fiala II, 94, “was called to heaven” on Dec. 19, 2014, after a short illness.

He was born in Spokane to Joseph B. and Hattie L. (Chellis) Fiala on Nov. 7, 1920.

After his high school graduation, Joe attended the local community college and then enrolled at Washington State College (University) in the fall of 1940. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity while attending school there.

In March 1942, Joe joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve and went into active duty the summer of 1943 while attending the University of Washington that summer. After basic training at Parris Island, Virginia, he attended Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia, and was commissioned in June 1944. From there he went to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

At that time, Joe married his college sweetheart, Jane E. Rhody, in Washington, D.C. He then left for Maui, Hawaii, where he remained until March 1946, serving as a first lieutenant managing the Marine Corps munitions depot for the Pacific Theater during World War II. He was proud of his days in the Marine Corps and always stayed affiliated with the Marine Corps League. Joe attended many Marine Corps Birthday Balls and was the oldest Marine in attendance for the last eight to 10 years.  

At the end of World War II, Joe returned to Spokane and joined the family sporting goods business for two years. During that time, his sons Joseph (III) and Paul were born and a decision was made to move to Montana and go into the cattle ranching business. Shortly before their move to Montana, Joe and Jane’s daughter, Sally, was born and the family moved to the Condon area east of Kalispell in August 1949. Thus began Joe’s love affair with Montana. Joe and Jane’s daughter Judi, was born while living in Montana. Even though he was unable to stay in Montana, Joe vowed to return one day.

The family moved back to Spokane and Joe went into the dry goods business and then the irrigation business which took the family to Tennessee, Texas and eventually Visalia, California, where Joe worked for Waterman Industries, Exeter, California, for 25 years, becoming vice president of sales for the company. During that time, Joe lost Jane, his wife of 37 years. He married JoAn Hamilton Stonecipher in October 1982, who had lost her husband, a fraternity brother of Joe’s, at the same time Joe had lost Jane. After retiring, Joe and JoAn relocated to Table Bay, Rollins, in 1990, where they maintained a home on Flathead Lake. They entertained many friends and family members throughout the years and Joe was grateful to be back in his beloved Montana!

Joe enjoyed fishing and gardening; fishing trips on the Yellowstone brought fond memories and great fishing stories. Joe landscaped his home in California as well as his two acres in Montana; carving out paths and planting indigenous trees and plants were his hobby.  

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Don Fiala; and a sister, Dorothy Beaupre; as well as his wife Jane; son, Paul; and his daughter, Judi.

Joe is survived by his wife, JoAn; son, Joseph B. Fiala, III and wife, Susan; daughter, Sally Fiala-Farhang, and her husband, John; a daughter, Jerri Milliken Fiala; as well as Julie Yokel and her husband Gerald; and James A. Stonecipher. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Jonathon Froberg, Katy Fiala, Josef Fiala and wife Michelle, and Jakobb Fiala and wife Kelli, as well as Jahan Farhang, Gaven Farhang, Talia Farhang, Angela Huntsman and her husband Eric, Gabriel DeLong and his wife Laurel, and Kelty and her husband Spencer. Joe has been blessed with great-grandchildren, Avery and Paul, as well as Jordan, Hailey, Mahala, Isaiah, Aliya and Lydia.

Services for Joe, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kalispell, will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Joe would like donations made to Trinity Lutheran Elementary School, 495 Fifth Ave. WN, Kalispell, MT 59901; or Redeemer Lutheran School, c/o Joseph B. Fiala Scholarship Fund, 468 Grand Street, Redwood City, CA 94062.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Joe’s family.  You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence and sign Joe’s guest book.