Clyde B. Smith

Clyde B. Smith, age 82, passed away on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at Heritage Place in Kalispell. Clyde was born on April 1, 1926 in Little Fork, Minn. to Carl and Anna Smith. He was raised in Little Fork, graduating from Little Fork High School in 1944.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he worked in Aviation Ordinance. He attended diesel school in Memphis, Tenn. from 1948-1949.

He married Bonnie Briggs on Dec. 4, 1951, they had four children. He moved to Montana in 1953. Clyde worked as a logger from 1948, founding the Smith Logging Company in 1964, until his retirement from logging in 1989.

Clyde was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 1983, where he served until 1990. He served on several committees, including: Natural Resources, Business and Labor, Highways, and the State Administration. He was appointed to the Governor’s Natural Resource’s Advisory Council in 1983, Governor’s Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council in 1986 and the Board of Directors, State Compensation Mutual Insurance Fund in 1988. He was the co-founder of the Montana Logging Association 1976, served as President from 1980 until 1985, was named logger of the year in 1980, and was a current member of the executive committee. He was also co-founder of A.L.E.R.T. Foundation, (Helicopter Rescue Program) 1980, chairman of the Board 1982-1985-1986-1990.

He was a member of the Montana Ambassadors, board of directors, State Chamber of Commerce. He was named as the Family-Owned Business Advocate of the Year, U.S. Small Business Administration in 1981, won the Great Chief’s Award from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce in 1983, and was Honorary Membership Society of American Loggers (the first and only logger to achieve such recognition) in 1983.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Bonnie, sisters: Francis Smith, Erma Baeth and Dorothy Swope; and one brother Kenny Smith.

Clyde is survived by four children: Rick Smith and his wife Deb, Barry Smith and his wife Cindy, Wendy Oehmeke and her husband Bill, and Pam Meskimen and her husband Sid; brother Earl Smith and his wife Grace; sister Lucy Roth; 15 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Visitation was held on Sunday, April 13 at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Interment was held on Monday, April 14 at Glacier Memorial Gardens, with the Military Honors conducted by the United Veterans of the Flathead Valley. If available, a fly by was to be done by the A.L.E.R.T. flight crew. A celebration of Clyde’s life was held on Monday, April 14 at the Red Lion Inn in Kalispell. A reception followed the service.

The family requests memorials in Clyde’s name be given to the A.L.E.R.T. Endowment in care of Healthcenter Northwest in Kalispell, MT 59901. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.