Christopher John Stinauer, 45

Christopher John Stinauer passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on the early morning of Aug. 13, 2018, due to multiple complications after a long history of medical issues over the last 19 years. He was 45 years old at his time of passing.

He is survived by his wife Nikki Stinauer, and daughter Lexi and son Colton at the family home in Kalispell. He is also survived by his mother, Helen Stinauer, of Kalispell; sister JoEllyn (Scott) Swanson and their children Morgan and Elise, of Weatherford, Texas; mother- and father-in-law, Ken and Chris Kettinger of Kalispell; his sister-in-law, Terri (Dominick) Paxinos and their children Sydney and Addie of Lolo; and his brother-in-law Ryan (Stephanie) Kettinger of Kalispell; and many other aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Stinauer, maternal grandparents Joe and Geraldine Martinez, and paternal grandparents Frank and Caroline Stinauer.

Chris was born in Kalispell to Joe and Helen Stinauer on Sept. 3, 1972. He attended Cayuse Prairie School from kindergarten to eighth grade, then onto Flathead High School, graduating from there in 1990. After high school he attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks from 1990 to 1993. About that time he met his future wife Nikki Kettinger and transferred to Montana State University in Bozeman, graduating in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

On July 27, 1996, he married Nikki Kettinger. They resided in Bozeman and he worked as a roofer until they moved back home to Kalispell in 1997. He roofed for Alan Olson at Advanced Roofing here in Kalispell until April of 1998, at which time he started his sales career with IKO Roofing. Chris was a very dedicated and hard-working employee for them for 19 years, until he was forced into medical retirement in February of 2017.

Chris and Nikki had a great life together. They recently celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary at the end of July. Together they welcomed two beautiful children into this world, Alexis Grace, born in 2005, and Colton James, born in 2007. Chris was a very dedicated and loving husband and father. He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his family and they spent many summer vacations in Saskatchewan fishing, hunting in Eastern Montana and had a wonderful vacation in January of 2017 to Cancun, Mexico. Chris was such a kind and caring soul. He loved his cats, dogs and horses very much. They are all missing him and wondering where he has gone, especially his dogs Sage and Sugar.

Chris was a true Montana cowboy. He loved to ride and train horses. He was an avid team penner and sorter for many years, winning many belt buckles and other miscellaneous prizes. He also loved to work cows on various ranches and helped rope and drag calves to the fire at many local brandings. Chris also loved to team rope and was quite good at it but was never able to compete like he hoped because his medical issues got in the way. One of his most proud moments with horses was when he took his daughter Lexi to her first cattle drive here in Kalispell. It melted his heart that she especially loves the horses and he knows that her passion for horses will continue for the rest of her life.

Chris was also a very avid and passionate hunter and fisherman. Through the years he has acquired quite the collection of firearms. He had an extreme soft spot for Pre-64 Winchesters, especially Model 70s. He spent many summers in his younger years fishing with his family in northern Saskatchewan. He loved catching northern pike because of the excitement of the fight. He was always in search of what his dad referred to as “the Monuker,” also known as the big one! Hunting was also a huge enjoyment for Chris. He especially enjoyed hunting elk with his buddies in the Gravelly Mountains in the southwestern part of the state, and he had harvested several nice animals over the years. He also loved hunting big mule deer bucks and antelope too. He was quite passionate about it and his family and friends will fondly remember their countless trips east of the mountains. But the proudest moment he ever had was last fall when his son Colton got his first mule deer buck in Chester. He was so happy because Colton had to work to fill his tag and it wasn’t just an easy opportunity. Colton we are sure will continue his dad’s legacy and go on to harvest many more animals as he grows up.

Chris also loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was important to him that his children knew about God’s love. We take great comfort knowing he is in heaven, fully healed and enjoying the reunion with many people, especially his dad, Joe.

A celebration of life for Chris will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23, at Easthaven Baptist Church, 2010 Whitefish Stage Road in Kalispell. Following the service, a light lunch will be served so friends and family can enjoy sharing their favorite stories of Chris.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to a charity of your choice in Chris’s name, or teach a child to hunt or fish so that those privileges continue on for generations to come.

R.I.P. Chris. Until we meet again!

Friends are encouraged to visit the website, www.buffalohillfh.com, to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.