Lee Allen Dyrdahl, 77

Lee Allen Dyrdahl, 77, passed away at home on Sept. 23, 2015, after a brave three-year battle with lung cancer.

He was born Dec. 20, 1937, in Cut Bank to Allen and Frances Dyrdahl. Lee grew up in Cut Bank and graduated from Cut Bank High School in 1956.

After graduating from high school, Lee drove trucks moving heavy equipment during the oil field boom – the beginning of a life-long love of big equipment. On Aug. 22, 1959, he married Lorene Mae Stjern in Cut Bank where he worked for Union Oil for seven years. Their first two children, Lance and Lynnette, were born while they lived in Cut Bank.

In 1966, the family moved to Kalispell, where Lee started a floor covering business. After five years of living in Kalispell, another son was born, Link. After dissolving the floor covering business, Lee worked in the construction business until a rise in interest rates drastically slowed home buying and new construction.  Lee then returned to driving trucks, moving oil rigs across the Western states. In 1979, while working for Getter Trucking, Lee spent time moving drilling rigs from Canada to Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, he positioned rigs on an inactive volcano as holes were drilled to access geothermal energy for steam turbines producing electrical power.

After his adventure in Central America, Lee returned to Kalispell to work in construction as a finish carpenter.  In addition to many commercial jobs, he spent time remodeling homes, including his and his children’s.  The urge to be in and around trucks never left Lee and it inspired him to buy a truck of his own and once again return to the industry for seven more years before retiring.  His last hurrah on the roads involved hauling road oil over eastern Montana during the summer months and roofing oil from Billings to the West Coast during the winter months.

In 2000, Lee retired.  He sold his own truck but continued driving trucks for various people in the valley and working as a carpenter in his spare time. He was known for his beautiful finish work, skilled craftsmanship and unique home remodeling projects. He was a creative thinker with an engineering mind that could find solutions to the most complicated problems.

Lee’s favorite times were spent with his family, many friends and his dogs. Talking about the valley, big equipment and politics with friends over breakfast or lunch was one of his favorite activities. Lee was known for his sense of humor, quick wit and outgoing personality with everyone he met in life. Lee had a love for dogs of all breeds and sizes. He happily spoiled family dogs his entire life and they all brought him much love, joy and peace, including his faithful bedmate Bo until the very end.

Lee leaves his wife, Lorene, of 56 years; his son, Lance and wife Jami and three granddaughters, Tailyr, Brianna and Elle; daughter, Lynnette and husband Doug, son Link and wife Tracy and grandchildren Jack and Sacha.

A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 24, 2015, time and place to be announced at a later date. To send a note of condolence to the family please visit www.buffalohillfh.com. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.