Edgar Lee Warner, 74

On Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, Edgar Lee Warner, 74, passed away peacefully. Ed fought a long, hard battle of asbestosis for over the last 20 years of his life showing his never-give-up attitude and he passed it along to everyone he met.

Ed was born Dec. 27, 1946, to Charles and Mable Warner in Grygla, Minnesota. He grew up in a few states but landed in Montana as a child and never left. He was fortunate to meet Betty Hammer in Troy, Montana, and marry the love of his life on June 8, 1968. They were married for an amazing 49 years before she lost her battle with cancer in October of 2017. Ed had many interests that he enjoyed but none more than spending time with his family and friends, from helping coach and watching their sporting events, to fishing and sharing his love of mechanic work, to playing with his grandkids and fishing on his pontoon boat with his many dear friends. Once he retired he made the most of his time from making the holiday seasons as memorable as possible with his wife and family to spending as much time as possible with his grandkids.

Ed was never at a loss for words. He loved making new friends and sharing many stories. You would often see him driving his four-wheeler around his neighborhood and stopping for a story with his neighbors or just to say "hi." Ed and Betty could often be found camping and boating on Lake Koocanusa, which was their favorite place to spend time with their family and friends each summer. During his retirement years, he was blessed to spend a lot of quality time with Betty, from traveling to see friends in Arizona or over to Washington for family, to attending every event a grandkid had and even just spending the time with her at home relaxing.

Ed is survived by his son Scott (wife Stacy and their children Kyle and Kendall); his son Joe (wife Karen and their children Harleigh (husband Richie) and Shawn); his sister Lavonne and her family; his lifelong friend Judy Woller; and finally, his dog Buddy who was a great companion and always by his side.

The family would like to thank all of Ed’s incredible doctors and nurses who cared for him and the wonderful team at hospice who helped him and his family at the end when he needed them. The celebration of his life will be at the Stillwater Lutheran Church, 1401 Church Drive in Kalispell at noon on Jan. 29 with a reception to follow at the church. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the Warner family.