Michael ‘Mike’ Joseph Dalimata, 70
Michael “Mike” Joseph Dalimata passed away peacefully on Jan. 14, 2022, surrounded by his family.
Mike was born in Kalispell on Feb. 17, 1951, to John and Ruth Dalimata. He was the oldest of nine children. Mike grew up in Nyack Flats, on the same land that his grandparents settled on in the 1930s. In his youth, he loved trapping and tanning mink and beavers at the ranch. He graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1969. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and spent time stationed in Morocco and Antarctica. While stationed in Rhode Island, he met the love of his life, Patricia “Patty.” They married that same year on Dec. 28, 1974.
Mike and Patty lived in Great Falls for several years and he worked as a mechanic at John Deere. In 1985, they relocated to Nyack Flats, where he grew up, and he built a home for his family. He worked hard on the ranch, farming, logging, running the sawmill, building cabins and doing whatever he could to provide for his wife and four children. Mike was proud of his family and taught them all what hard work looked like.
Mike enjoyed spending time in his shop. He was a jack-of-all-trades and could build or fix just about anything. From jewelry boxes to beautiful violins, he took great pride in the things he built. Most recently, he built knives and would spend hours forging steel and hand sewing sheaths.
Mike was always the first to help anyone out. All were welcome to his home and he treated them like family. Mike never met a stranger and if you ran into him at the store, he would tell you a story and try to make you laugh.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, John and Aurelia (Skierka) Dalimata; as well as his parents John Dalimata who passed Dec. 31, 2021, and Ruth (Voss) Dalimata who passed Jan. 9, 2022.
Mike is survived by his wife of 47 years, Patty (O’Hara) Dalimata; his four brothers, Richard, Mark, Steve and Christopher; his four sisters, Mary Jane, Susanne, Pauline and Anita; as well as his four children, Marty (wife Mandy) Dalimata of Bridgeport, Nebraska, Tim Dalimata of El Paso, Texas, Matt Dalimata of Vancouver, Washington, and Colleen (husband Chris) Finberg of Columbia Falls.
His favorite title was Grandpa and he would drop everything for them. He is survived by his grandchildren, Scott, Jessica, Kassidy (husband Colin), Kyle, Paige, Logan, Chandler and Charlee; and great-grandchildren, JayLynn and Lylah. Mike would take any child under his wing and love them as his own. His nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews always knew they could count on their uncle Mike.
There will be a private rosary at the Chapel at Nyack on Sunday, Jan. 23, and funeral services will be at St. Richard Catholic Church on Monday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m., with burial at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery in Kalispell, with a reception to follow at St. Richard.