Donald Huggins

Don Huggins passed away peacefully with family by his side on the afternoon of Friday, March 10, 2023. He was 87 years old. He lived a great and impactful life centered on providing for his family, making his wife happy, and spending free time involved in sports.

Born in Havre, his parents, William and Ellen raised their family (including a brother and two sisters) in Ferndale and Kalispell. This is where Don attended grade school and high school, developing his caring and fun-loving personality. Shaped by his surroundings he grew up appreciating the Flathead Valley and the simple things in life, focusing on family, friends, hard work, and enjoying life.

After high school Don enrolled at the University of Montana, pledging the Sigma Chi fraternity. After a year of attending the university, he enlisted in the Army, becoming a member of the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He valued his time in the Army and Army Reserves and took great pride in his military service to his country.

While Don was in the Army Reserves, he moved back to Montana and worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad out of Missoula. During a visit with family back in Kalispell he met the love of his life Marlene Bjork. Just a year after asking her to dance at the Skylark Lounge, they were married in late November 1956 on Swan Lake.

As they started their family Don's work took them away from Montana, moving to Denver, Pocatello, and Spokane. In 1964 they made it back to Montana, settling in Missoula to raise their children.

While the kids were growing up in Missoula Don was a self-employed business owner in the automobile leasing, sales and rentals industry, providing the family with a very comfortable lifestyle. In addition to his primary business, he started the North West Travel Agency in Missoula. This allowed him and Marlene the opportunity to travel around the world, fulfilling their desire to experience new places and build memories together. As a proud Irishman, one of his favorite memories was traveling to Ireland where he was able to visit his namesake village Hugginstown located between Kilkenny and Waterford. His involvement in the travel industry allowed Don to serve on the Johnson Bell Field Airport Board, when the renovation and expansion of the Terminal Building (1977-1979) took place, which has been recently replaced.

When Don wasn't working, he spent many weeknights and weekends fishing, playing sports, and supporting Grizzly athletics. He loved fishing Rock Creek and the Blackfoot river, with his favorite fishing spot being the North Fork of the Flathead River near Polebridge. He competed in basketball playing in the Missoula men's league, was an avid golfer and member of the Missoula Country Club. He gave many volunteer hours to the University of Montana Athletic Department officiating track and raising money through the "Century Club" (now known as the Grizzly Scholarship Association — GSA), becoming the organization's president in 1971 and ’72. When his boys reached high school at Hellgate, he turned his attention to following them around the state, watching and providing support as they competed in football, basketball and track. He never missed a game.

Once the kids were out of high school, Don turned his attention to the next challenge and series of adventures. Moving away from Montana, he spent the next twenty-four years establishing and selling several businesses and homes in Maui, Palm Springs, Portland and Phoenix. While he owned his business in Portland, Don was able to display his keen sense of humor, punking his staff in an iconic stunt that was featured in the first Johnny Knoxville movie "Jack Ass: The Movie." He retired in 2007.

Early in retirement Don and Marlene spent their winters in Chandler, Arizona, and summers at their cabin on Flathead Lake, golfing and spending time with family and friends. After a couple of years of back and forth, they decided to move back to Montana permanently, building a home in Turah where they could spend more time enjoying the state they loved.

Don is survived by his wife, Marlene; sister Sharon Nyquist of Anchorage, Alaska; sons Jay of Missoula; Jerry (Tracy) of Littleton, Colorado; and Jim (Marla) of Arlee.

Don's seven grandchildren and three bonus grandchildren include Ashley (Cody) Ball of Kalispell, Kelsey Huggins of Bozeman; Erin (Calvin) Hoard of Munith, Michigan; Megan Huggins of Denver, Colorado; Lauren Huggins of Fresno, California; Cade and Kendall Huggins of Santa Rosa Valley, California; Ashley (Jake) Hastings of Windsor, Colorado; Tim (Sidney) DeWalt of Folsom, California; and Jace DeWalt of Missoula. He also had four great-grandchildren, Liam and Logan Ball, and Chloe and Wesley Hoard.

If you feel inclined, in remembrance of Don, please make donations to the Grizzly Scholarship Association (GSA), or a charity of your choice. The Grizzly Scholarship Association is the primary fundraising organization for Grizzly athletics.

In accordance to Don's wishes, no service to celebrate his life will be held. Instead, the family will gather at several of his favorite places in Montana to spread his ashes.