Donald ‘Don’ Fred Hellman, 86
Retired Kalispell police officer Donald “Don” Fred Hellman, 86, passed away on Aug. 7, 2020, in Kalispell.
Don, a lifelong Flathead Valley resident, was born on Jan. 6, 1934, to Fred Hellman and LaVone (Krause) Hellman, the oldest of four children.
After graduating from Flathead County High School in 1951 he attended the University of Washington before serving in the U.S. Navy as an engineman on a minesweeper in Japan from 1955 to 1957. At the conclusion of his service in Japan, Don and other returning servicemen from Montana arrived in the middle of the night in Polson. He stopped at the lakeshore, jumped into Flathead Lake and vowed to never leave the Flathead Valley again.
Don married Patricia Wickham on April 18,1959, and soon welcomed their first daughter, Susan, and a few years later, their second daughter, Jill. Don began his career as a police officer for the city of Kalispell in 1964. He received many promotions and honors during his career culminating with his appointment as the assistant police chief in 1976. In 1976, he also graduated from Flathead Valley Community College with an Associate of Arts degree. Upon his retirement Don wasn’t ready to stop working. He continued as an investigator for the Montana Department of Commerce Board of Outfitters and owned Montana Fire and Safety Supply where he drove long miles across Montana and made many friends in the businesses, farms and ranches where he worked. Even after retiring completely, work was part of Don’s ethos. He continued to work in his yard, making sure that no weed lived for long.
Don was a man who lived life large. He was an inspiration to his family and friends to take time and be committed to do those pursuits that you are truly passionate about. Among his varied interests Don enjoyed:
His “cabin” on Flathead Lake that he bought in 1973 for $9,500.00 and remodeled into a beautiful lake home.
• Buying, restoring and selling antique cars. His favorite being a 1931 Model A — Victoria; one of only three in the Western United States.
• Restoring an old wagon and taking it on wagon train trips
• Assembling a unique collection of horses and mules that he used hunting and on pack trips to the Bob Marshall Wilderness
• Creating beautiful masonry work and rock structures. Having learned the trade from his dad, Fred, Don evolved into a true artist. He loved quartz rocks, and he has left a legacy of stunning rockwork and rock gardens that people drive by to admire.
• Hunting until he could no longer do so. At age 75 he shot a 7x7 bull elk that was the pride of his collection
• The many dogs he owned and who adored Don, including the last two, both named “Chief”
• Recreating at Flathead Lake with family and friends. At age 85 he was jumping off of the boat house and swimming with his grandchildren.
Don was a friendly, loving man. He loved hosting people, both at Flathead Lake and at his winter residence in Quartzsite, Arizona. He always insisted that guests have a cup of coffee or a beer and told them to make themselves at home and spend the night if they needed. He had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to play jokes on people. He spent as much time as he could playing with his grandchildren, who called him “Papa Don,” and who loved him dearly.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.” — Mark Twain
Don is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia Wickham Hellman; and his two daughters, Susan Hellman Matter and husband Jim Matter (grandchildren Padric, Casey and Grady), and Jill Kaufman and husband Mark Kaufman (grandchildren Erin, Brooke and Alyssa, and great-grandsons Ryker and Brooks). He is also survived by two sisters, Joanne Johnson and Mary June Jankowiak, and one brother, Robert Hellman.
There will be a private family inurnment. A celebration of Don’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
“The last goodbye’s the hardest one to say. This is where the cowboy rides away.” — George Strait
