Judee (Fish) Channell, 74

Judee M. (Fish) Channell, born June 12, 1948, passed away peacefully Jan. 20, 2022, in Sonora, California.

Raised in Columbia Falls, the eldest child of legendary Bill and Maxine Fish, she would graduate high school there in 1966 as a national honor society student. Continuing her education, she graduated Montana State University before going on to earn her Master of Business Administration degree from Oklahoma State University.

In 1971 she married Loren Brown, having two children together, Russell and Darrell Brown.

Moving to California in 1976, she taught at a business school in Modesto before settling in Sonora where she was welcomed into a local law firm. It was there she met and happily married Hal Channell, the two of them starting their own successful firm and running it together until retirement.

A devoted sports fan, Judee supported the San Francisco Giants and, especially, the 49ers all her years in California. It's been speculated however her pining for home led her to love a quarterback named Montana in the first place. She was also an avid softball player and a fantasy football fanatic.

A lover of books, puzzles, and cats of all sizes, Judee was kind, with a pleasant, easy laugh her family and friends will always remember.

She is survived by her loving husband of 33 years Hal Channell of Sonora, stepdaughter Leslie Channell of San Diego, two sons, Russell Brown with wife Sara of Anchorage, Alaska, and Darrell Brown of Kalispell; along with two grandchildren Levi Brown with wife Charlotte, and Carson Brown. She is also survived by three notorious brothers, Rance, Eddy and Kenny Fish — all wanted and still at large in the Flathead Valley.

She was preceded in death by her father Al Sihrer, her dad Bill Fish, and mother Maxine Freeman.

A celebration of life will be held July 30 at the family farm at 2020 Trumble Creek Road in Kalispell.