Terry Marshall, 69

Terry Marshall passed away peacefully Aug. 24, 2014.  He was a resident at Highgate Senior Living in Billings where he had lived for many years. Many events complicated his last years of life, and, through the support of the Highgate staff and the excellent services of Rocky Mountain Hospice, he is now comfortable and without the pain that he had suffered from for so long.

He was born in Kalispell on May 24, 1945, and was the youngest son of Leonard and Corlea (Nees) Marshall. As a farming family in the lower valley, just north of Flathead Lake, his folks taught him the value of hard work. After graduating from Flathead High School, he attended Montana State University and received a bachelor's degree in agricultural business in 1967. Terry then attended Oregon State University and received a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 1970. 

During his time as an undergraduate, after several trips to the soda shop in Bozeman, he finally mustered the confidence to ask Patti Schledorn to “go steady’ with him. They were married Sept. 10, 1966, in Bozeman.  They had two sons and a daughter.

Terry began his professional career with the Industrial Division of Ford Motor Company in Birmingham, Mich., in 1969. After only one year, he returned to Bozeman, worked two years for TAP, Inc. and pursued a change that took him to California in 1972. There he worked for Hughes Airwest as a manager of regulatory affairs. A return to Montana came in 1977. After a brief year in Bozeman, where he worked for the local Subaru dealership, he was hired by Big Sky Airlines in Billings. Big Sky would become his life's work. He gave much of his time and energy to the small airline that provided essential air service to so many small, remote Montana towns. He was hired as the director of marketing/planning. He retired in 1997 as the chairman, president and CEO, after 20 years of service to the company.  

He enjoyed fond memories of fishing the Flathead River, camping trips to Big Basin in the California Redwoods, riding motorcycles with his sons, and breakfast dates with his daughter. Perhaps his fondest memory was from his college days fishing the Madison River near the mouth of the Beartrap Canyon. He also maintained an intense use of sarcasm that family and friends will miss. Lastly, his moments with his granddaughters were a time in his life that he cherished.

He is survived directly by his wife, Patricia, of Billings; his three children, sons, Mike and Sabrina Marshall of Billings, and Tom and Michelle Marshall of Duvall, Wash.; daughter, Krista Marshall, and Mike Pasini, of Billings; three granddaughters, Alys, Cayley and Meagan; and his older brother, Duane, and Patsy Marshall of Spokane.

An open house to celebrate Terry's life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Billings Northern Hotel. Please join the family during this time to remember him as the husband, father, grandfather, brother, colleague and friend that he was. 

The family asks that donations to Lewy Body Dementia research, (www.lbda.org); or Rocky Mountain Hospice (www.rockymountainhospice.com) in Billings be considered in lieu of flowers or other gifts.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.cfgbillings.com through “Our Families.”