Doris Leanne (Jones) Dey, 83

Doris Leanne (Jones) Dey, 83, passed peacefully at home in Missoula April 21, 2022.

Doris was born on July 4, 1938, in Kalispell to Harold and Mary (Welch) Jones. Doris attended schools in Kalispell and graduated from Flathead County High School in 1956. During high school, she was active in choir and participated in several high school musicals. During her childhood, she helped her father and mother run Jones Bakery and Pastry Shop and had a fondness for driving her father’s bakery delivery truck.

When not in school, Doris spent as much time as possible with her horses, a love that carried on throughout her life. Doris was active in the training and showing of Arabian horses, participating in a number of horse shows and winning many awards. She developed many lifelong friendships with those in Kalispell’s horse community. She spent many joyful hours riding around the Kalispell area and along Flathead Lake long before development dominated the shoreline and the area.

When not tending to her horses, Doris was a voracious reader. Throughout her life she often read several books in a week and had a fondness for romance and mystery novels.

Doris worked as a telephone operator in Kalispell and for a time as a grocery checkout clerk at B&B in Kalispell. In 1965, Doris met Mike Dey, who had recently returned from the Navy. The two forged a strong connection and were married Oct. 8, 1965. Mike preceded her in death earlier this year, but the two celebrated their 56th anniversary in October. Doris missed Mike terribly after his passing in January.

After marrying Mike, Doris turned her attention to her family. Together they raised three children, Ken, Roger and Kathy. Things were not always easy for the couple, but Doris created a loving and safe home for all her children. It often took some creative bookkeeping, but her children always had presents under the Christmas tree and enjoyed many birthday parties. She was active in many of her children’s activities and had a long tenure volunteering for the Cub Scouts and Boys Scouts of America. She was an untiring advocate for her children and was always proud of their accomplishments, both big and small.

In their later years, Doris and Mike traveled across the region gathering and selling many items at flea markets. The couple also spent many enjoyable hours listening to bluegrass music at Wheat Montana and attending bluegrass celebrations on the weekends.

Doris was truly the glue that held the family together through the many ups and downs of life, especially at times when Mike traveled for jobs. Doris never gave up, and her faith was a big part of it all. She grew up in the First Baptist Church in Kalispell and later attended a number of Lutheran churches with Mike and her family. Faith gave her the optimism to carry on. She would say things like, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, we’d have no luck at all,” and she always looked forward to a better day.

Her parents Harold and Mary, brother Charles Jones, and sister Phyllis (Jones) Huffman preceded Doris in death.

Doris is survived by her children, Ken (Karen) Dey, Roger (Erin) Dey, and Kathy Dey, and grandchildren Kyle, Kaitlyn and Emma.

The family would like to thank the nurses and caregivers at Home Health and Hospice of Montana for the compassionate care they provided to Doris in her final days. Simply Cremation handled funeral arrangements.

The family is planning a summer gathering to celebrate the lives of Doris and Mike. All friends and family are invited to attend on June 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 112 N. Grove St. in Missoula.