Charles Arlie Shelton, 89
Charles Arlie Shelton passed away in Mesa, Arizona, on Jan. 7, 2020, while in hospice care. Charlie said, “he was sick and tired of being sick and tired.” He was 89 years old.
Charlie was born Dec. 1, 1930, in Choteau, Montana, to his parents Eddie and Florence Shelton.
Later he attended grade school in Browning until moving to Butte where he graduated from Butte High School in 1948. His father, Eddie, was a prize fighter and taught him early how to throw a punch, which he said, “was pretty damn important if you were gonna live in Browning or Butte.”
Charlie attended both Montana State and the University of Montana where he earned a business degree from the U of M. Upon graduation, he soon thereafter enlisted into the United States Army and spent two years in intelligence, stationed in Salt Lake City.
In 1959 he married the most beautiful girl in Butte, Margie Simonich, and the union produced four children, Randy, Sharrie, Shayne and Staci. After 20 years of marriage they divorced, and Charlie went on to remarry again. He married Patty Seaman and remained married until her passing in 2012.
Charlie loved horse racing and attended the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Breeder’s Cup, but said it couldn’t compare to running the racetracks in Montana with his running buddies of whom some have passed before him, Roger Lorge, Ray Lembke, Big AI Carruthers and RG Walter. “See ya at the Commander after the races.”
He loved his children and was preceded in death by his daughter Sharrie and brother Eddie Jr.
Charlie is survived by his son Randy and wife Kaydel, their children Sam and Tessa; daughter Shayne and her husband Mark; daughter Staci and her children Cade and Mark; and Sharrie’s son Shane. Charlie’s extended family and friends are too many to name, but in his later years, his horse wagering buddy Kevin Linrude kept him smiling, joking and slapping the table up until the last race of the day!
A celebration of life will take place in Kalispell this summer at a date to be announced later.
Interment will be at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery.
“Tap ’er light.”