Rhianna Leigh Dilworth, 22

Rhianna Leigh Dilworth, beloved daughter of Tim and Doni Dilworth and sister of Sierra Dilworth, passed away peacefully on Sept. 17, 2016, at the age of 22, from an undiagnosed heart condition. She is also survived by her maternal grandfather Bob Gerhard of Kalispell, and paternal grandparents Mike and Pat Dilworth of Frisco, Texas, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Rhianna had a genuine compassion for others and an eagerness to share her faith in Christ that made those who knew her know that she really cared for them. She touched many lives in her much-too-short time on this earth and those who got to know her could tell she was a special girl. She was a devoted daughter and sister who adored her younger sister and enjoyed swimming, hiking, camping, kayaking, climbing trees and introducing Sierra to the outdoors that she loved so much. She even followed her dad around on some of his hunting trips. She had an affinity for animals that ranged from the family pets to the creatures she would find in the woods.

Rhianna was born in Salt Lake City and spent most of her first seven years in Utah. She traveled around the world for a year in a backpack with her parents when she was 2 years old. This experience, along with her explorations with her Aunt Ginni during many visits and trips, instilled an adventurous streak in Rhianna that lasted the rest of her life.

After moving to Michigan she attended Hartland High School where she graduated with honors in 2012. During her high school years she competed in speech and downhill skiing and was a state finalist in both activities her senior year. She also trained horses with her mom and competed in local horse shows. With her love of all things Celtic, Rhianna fulfilled a dream with a graduation trip to Ireland and Scotland.

She attended Hillsdale College in Michigan from 2012 to 2014 as a biology major. Rhianna loved the stimulating environment at Hillsdale, whether in conversation with students and professors or sitting in a tree in Slayton Arboretum studying or playing her flute. When her family decided to move to Montana in 2014, she preceded them to the Flathead Valley that summer. She began her studies at the University of Montana in January of 2016 to take advantage of their prestigious wildlife biology program and specialize in the study of birds.

She spent the last summer of her life traveling to Alaska with her family, assisting with a woodpecker research project in the Bitterroot National Forest, backpacking in the Jewel Basin with her dad, and training her new puppy, Ranger. Rhianna lived life to the fullest and did so with an enthusiasm, energy and concern for others that made her family proud. She was a wonderful young woman who was taken from us too soon.

There will be a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home at 525 South Main Street, Kalispell, MT 59901, and funeral at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at Easthaven Baptist Church at 2010 Whitefish Stage Road, Kalispell, MT 59901.