Frank Guay, 87
Frank Guay passed away peacefully early May 29, 2015, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. He was comforted through his final hours by his wife, daughter, son, five grandchildren, and several of his great-grandchildren.
Frank was born in Whitefish on Aug. 5, 1927, to Wilma (Lent) Guay and Frank Guay. He had one sibling, his older sister Betty.
Frank left school during the ninth grade, preferring to get out on his own and start working. He started as a farm hand in the Bigfork area at age 13, hitchhiking between Whitefish and Bigfork to get to work. For a period of time he worked in the railroad round house switching the tracks to direct the train cars. He spent most of the rest of his life working hard to provide for himself and, later in life, for those he cared for.
His resume was long and varied. As a young man he learned carpentry skills from his grandfather, Milo Lent. Milo taught him how to use tools, pay attention to detail, think ahead, and just do good work as they built homes in and around Whitefish. He drove taxies in Kalispell, was a carpenter on the Hungry Horse dam construction project, managed a service station, was a mechanic and service manager at a car dealership, sold cars, worked in automotive body shops, then went back to carpentry as his own boss building and remodeling any structure made of wood.
He served a term as a Flathead County commissioner in the late 1970s, spent some time as a Realtor, and went back to construction. He even took a shot at harvesting lodgepole pine for fence posts.
Frank taught hunter’s safety classes in Kalispell for many years, and was an active member of the Jaycees for several years. He also served on the board of the Evergreen Water District.
In 1950, Frank married Cora Beth Grainger. A year later they greeted their daughter Jean, and a son, Larry followed. Nothing meant more to Frank than his responsibilities to those he cared about. He never stopped teaching and offering guidance, often accompanied by some folksy saying and, maybe, just a touch of sarcasm. His grandchildren can spend hours fondly telling “Grandpa” stories.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents and sister.
He is survived by his wife at the family home; his daughter, Jean Kelly, and her husband Terry; son, Larry, and his wife Rhonda; grandchildren, Brett Kelly and his wife Amy, April (Kelly) Snell and husband Jerry, Jessica (Guay) Pullman and husband Tyler, Alyssa Guay, and Alexandra Guay and husband Vince; and nine great-grandchildren.
Services will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.
Friends are encouraged to visit the website, www.buffalohillfh.com, to send notes of condolence. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.