Russell Arthur Novak, 75

Russell Arthur Novak, age 75, went to his eternal home with the Lord on Nov. 8, 2022.

He was born on Oct. 7, 1947, in Evanston, Illinois, to his father, Arthur Novak and mother, Irene Novak. 

On Dec. 30, 1967, he married Dianne, and soon after moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana where he got a degree in education. Upon graduation, they moved to Kalispell where he got a job teaching grade school science. He later decided to make a change to teach seventh-grade math at Linderman School, where he spent the rest of his career. He taught wholeheartedly for 37 years until he retired. He loved teaching, he was a natural. He adored his students and was so proud of all of their accomplishments. He was such a kind, giving and joyful spirit. He always wanted to keep learning fun and fresh, to be creative and inspire his students. He kept in touch with a great deal of them for years after, there are countless amounts of “Mr. Novak” fans. 

He was also an excellent coach for volleyball, basketball, football and track. He encouraged his athletes to be the best they could be and saw the potential in each and every one of them. He invested a lot of time and support in helping them to meet their personal goals and encourage their strengths. 

One of his biggest passions was being in the great outdoors. He loved nature and all of its beauty, he lived and breathed it. He was an avid and very skilled hunter and fisherman. He taught his two sons, son-in-law and grandson how to hunt and fish, and each of them still carries on his legacy to this day. They all have so many great memories that they’ve shared with him in the mountains, meadows, lakes, rivers and streams and everything in between. He absolutely loved and cherished this time they spent together. 

His favorite hobbies throughout the years were: hiking and picnicking in Glacier National Park, camping, gardening and landscaping, looking for fossils, arrowheads and other artifacts, and foraging for mushrooms and huckleberries. As well as listening to music and brilliantly knowing every band name and song title in just two notes. And we can’t forget, cooking, he was an amazing cook; this was definitely a huge way for him to share and show his love for our entire family. His mother was an incredible cook as well, and she passed down the beautiful gift of making traditional Czech comfort food to him. We all have our favorites of his that were “must-haves” for birthdays and special occasions, but nothing could ever compete with chicken paprika and dumplings, the best ever! 

He was a loving, compassionate, supportive and caring man, father and grandfather, and was so incredibly proud of each and every one of us. He supported us in our achievements, big or small. He had a really big heart and a smile that could light up the room. He was incredibly smart and never forgot a story, a place, or a name. He had wonderful, exciting stories to tell, the kind that leave a perfect, colorful picture in your mind. He had a great, sharp sense of humor and the best, cute belly laugh; it was his signature and it made all of us laugh with him. We had so much fun together as a family, eating, singing, cracking jokes. We all have shared tons of memories together that are so incredibly special and irreplaceable. 

He is loved and missed more than words can ever say and is forever a huge blessing in our lives. He helped shape each of us from birth into the strong adults that we are today and undoubtedly who we will be tomorrow. We will continue to honor him and his life and keep our countless, precious memories of him with us every single day. He will always be in our hearts forevermore. 

Russell is survived by his daughter Kimberly and son-in-law Rial Sr. Gunlikson; his two sons, Christopher and Jason and daughter Heidi; also his previous wife Dianne; his brother Mark; in addition to his six grandchildren, Gabrielle, Rial Jr., Claire, Rafielle, Eli and Keegan; and his great-grandchild, Rial the third; and of course, the light and joy of his life, his pup, “Bay-Bay,” who was always by his side.

An excerpt from his favorite devotion book, “Jesus Calling,” from the day that he went to Heaven:

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”— Isaiah 41:10 

 Private services will be held.