Joseph O. Mickels-Silva, 35

Joseph O. Mickels-Silva was born Oct. 24, 1986, and passed away May 27, 2022.

Joe endured a life we can only imagine, most of his life was determined by decisions of others. He decided when he could no longer bear the hurt. Though he had difficulty making friends, he had a few groups that he considered family.

Joe loved game nights and hanging with family or barbecues with friends, camping, and fishing if he could get someone to go with him. He loved computers, figuring out how they work, building them and playing games on them. He found his niche with AutoCAD, drawing his dream home that he wanted to live in out in the woods. He spent the last two years designing a new gun holster and working on getting it patented, which he just recently got submitted. When Joe got excited about something that is all he could think or talk about.

Joe accepted Christ and had been baptized in his mid-20s. He could have passionate conversations and sometimes wanted advice but had difficulty accepting someone else’s point of view. He was very intelligent and could remember subjects in such detail that he had interest in.

Joe is survived by his younger brother Matt from Helena who was adopted by Mike and MaryRose Heller of Hamilton. Joe had a family from California, Aunt Nikki, Aunt Jenny, foster parents Bonnie and Dave Pennell, and many cousins; a grandma, also of Hamilton; foster family Mark and Candy Van Frachen, whom he came to live with at 17; siblings, Jolee, Austin, Megan and Richard; grandparents Lois and Gary, plus extended family. His other chosen families are Rhiannon McFarland, the Hansons, Luke Heffernan, and others that we may not have met but meant so much to him.

Joe was preceded in death by a baby sister Kalen, whom he never forgot about.

A celebration of life will be held at Canvas Church of Kalispell, Tuesday June 14, at 11 a.m.

Donations can be made to Flathead Warming Center.