Frank E. Lochridge Jr., 91

Frank Lochridge passed away on April 1, 2016, in the presence of his loving caregivers at the Living Center in Stevensville. He was 91 years old.

He was born July 10, 1924, in Danville, Illinois, to Frank and Esther Lochridge, and he grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, where his father was the minister of the Methodist Church. He served in the military during World War II and was a staff sergeant in the 91st Infantry Division, also known as the Powder River Division. While fighting in North Africa and Italy, he was an infantry squad leader and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Upon returning from the war, he married Shirley Eskelson on June 18, 1948. They shared 67 years together and had six children, Frank, Charlie, John, Mary, Andy and Jim. He attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell and was a three-sport athlete, for which he was inducted into their sports hall of fame.

Upon graduation, he worked as an executive director for the YMCA for thirty years and then moved to Montana in 1975. His adventures in Montana landed him in West Glacier, and he was able to visit many of the familiar sites in Glacier Park. He eventually lived in Lakeside for about 25 years, where he started Whitecap Sailing and spent many a summer sailing on Flathead Lake and was a founding member of the West Shore Community Library.

Throughout his life, he was always a positive influence on anyone he was around. He was well-known for telling jokes and instigating harmless pranks. (His passing on April Fools Day did not go unnoticed.) We will miss him dearly and we are grateful for all of the kind words and condolences we have received from around the world.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, who passed away on February 9, 2016.

A celebration of his life with Shirley will take place on June 18 in Lakeside.