Gordon "Duff" Gerrish, 92
Gordon "Duff" Gerrish, 92, passed away June 25, 2023 at his home with his wife Marion, stepson Marshall Noice, and grandson Aaron Hove, caring for him.
He had been hit and seriously injured while driving his car south of Polson.
He was the son of Floyd P. and Liana Auren Gerrish, both deceased. His son, Jeffery preceded him in death.
His mother was a school teacher in Missoula and Plains, where Duff attended elementary schools and Graduated from the Missoula High School.
As a young man he lied about his age and joined the Montana Forest Service where he was detailed to trail blaze, lay telephone wires, do cloud seeding, fight fires and he spend three summers in a fire lookout.
He served in the U.S. Army stationed in France in 1952-1954. Upon his completion of duty he returned to Montana as director of Clinical Psychology of Western Regional Mental Health of Western Montana.
In this capacity he was able to include working in the local schools and with the Salish Kootenai College. He helped develop the Native American studies program at the University of Montana.
The honor blankets he was awarded for his work with the Native people were his greatest treasures and for which he was most proud.
His bachelor's and master's degrees were from the University of Montana and his Doctor of Philosophy was earned at the University of Massachusetts.
After graduation his first assignment was chief psychologist of United Counseling Service at Bennington, Vermont from 1964-1970.
As he had been born in Deer Lodge, he always wished to make it his home in Montana which he did when he was appointed director of Clinical Psychology for the Western Region of Mental Health of Western Montana from which retired.
He can not be remembered without mentioning his breeding, training and showing his German Shepherd dogs. They often went with him when he was counseling patients in his office, especially when helping children, who were more willing to talk to a dog than to a doctor.
His work with communities included traveling to Montana prisons to counsel inmates. He attended every pueblo in Arizona to recruit students to attend Kicking Horse Jobs Corp Center in Montana where Native Americans were taught skills that prepared them for employment.
He loved all people and dedicated his life to making theirs better. He helped children as well in starting the first pre school program in Montana.
He is honored and remembered for his tireless service to his beloved community, his commitment to country as a War Veteran, and his unparalleled devotion to all those in need of mental health care.
As a clinical psychologist he worked hand in hand with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and is survived by his numerous friends and extended family.
When greeting someone he never said, "Have a good day," his words were "Have a good life."