John Bauska, 72

John (Jack) Thomas Bauska, 72, native son of Montana, proud direct descendant of founding father, Patrick Henry.

He was born Oct. 28, 1950, in Kalispell to Lester and Camilla Bauska. He attended Elrod School, Central School, and Flathead County High School graduating in 1968, prior to a short time taking classes at University of Montana Western. Born and raised in Kalispell, Jack also lived in Alaska, Louisiana, and California during his many entrepreneurial adventures. Life itself was an adventure for Jack, his love for adventure was contagious.

From newspaper boy, to farm work, to manager of women's lingerie at the old Penny's store, right out of high school (yes that's right, women's lingerie). Maybe you saw him as an extra, shooting black powder rifles in the movie, "Lady Hawke". He was a bartender and bouncer at our famous "Mooses," and moved along to owning his own cement company and bicycle store.

Together with his father Les, Jack and his dad were well known manufacturers of gun barrels. Jack started a manufacturing company for refrigeration panels in Louisiana. Always the entrepreneur, later the panels were fashioned to provide economical housing in both the middle east and Mexico for laborers. He was a steward on the Alaskan pipeline and later in life the CEO for several mining companies in the Western United States.

He was knowledgeable about guns of all types, an interest he shared with his dad who opened the Les Bauska Shooting Range in Kalispell, and traveled to Washington DC for the signing of gun legislation which he introduced.

His love and pride for Montana was obvious. He loved taking visitors on tours of Glacier Park, hunting in Malta, packing hunting parties on horseback into the wilderness, and just relaxing at Ashley Lake. He loved cruising and golf, having once golfed with Sydney Poitier.

He loved John Wayne movies and old westerns, often reciting lines prior to them being spoken, much to the amusement of his wife. He was an avid hunter of duck, deer, antelope and elk. He loved his Arabian horses and spent more than a decade breeding Arabians here in Montana, a horse breed he was introduced to by his uncle Manny. Maybe you attended one of his extravagant barn parties.

In his lifetime, Jack has traveled to more than 90 countries either for business or pleasure. Comfortable with an immense variety of people and cultures, he made lifelong friendships in Austria, Canada, Abu Dhabi, Mexico, Morocco, Bratislava, London, and South Korea, to name a few.

Described by his sister Leslie and many others, he was the eternal optimist.

He demonstrated tremendous memory skills, specifically regarding history and current events, and was an avid reader. A man who seemed to live 10 lifetimes in one. A beloved and complex man. A mountain of a man, once described by one of his business partners as, "a cross between Grizzly Adams and a Rabbi," tenacious, a survivalist, a teacher and a leader.

He will always be remembered for his love of family and his generosity. Family was everything to him. When it comes to friends, he would give you the shirt off his back, even if it was his last one.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Les and Camilla Bauska; and brothers, Roy and Greg.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela Bauska; and children, Darren Hall (wife Carly), Aaron Hahn, Camarron Lanphere, Christoper Hall; his sister, Leslie Millspaugh; and grandchildren, Ava, Amelia, Kellan, Araya and Harley.

A service will be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 27, at Trinity Lutheran, 400 West California St., Kalispell. Service will be followed by a reception for all family and friends from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. at The Red Lion, 20 North Main St., Kalispell.

I love you Jack, Pam.