Dan Story, 63, of Kalispell

Dan Story, 63, died suddenly at his home in Kalispell on Monday morning, Sept. 24, 2012.  

Dan was born in Flint, Mich., and was the son of Violet and Carl Story. 

He was the youngest child of the family which included one older brother and five sisters. He was adored by his sisters who in addition to showering him with love, taught him to dance to tunes on the radio, a skill he perfected as he grew to be a man.

The family, now headed by a single mother, moved to Southern California while he was a very young child, to be close to her married daughter Rose Madore and her husband Paul, who helped care for him while his mother worked as a nurse. At 12 years old, after a visit to his third sister and her husband, Gerry and Cal St. Onge in Libby, they convinced his mother to let him stay in Montana. He attended Asa Wood Elementary and graduated from Libby High School. Living in the St. Onge household, he discovered machinery and vehicles along with hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping, and his love of the outdoors continued for his entire life along with his love and admiration for Cal St. Onge. He played basketball in Jr. High and worked at the lumber mill and Wilson’s Grocery in Libby along with haying for local ranchers during his high school years. Upon his graduation he joined the Army where he served in Germany and in Vietnam.

After his discharge from the Army he moved to Anaheim, California, where on July 21, 1973 he married Elizabeth Freund. They moved to Libby in 1975 but returned to California where their daughter, Tiffany and son Daniel were born. During this time, Dan became a journeyman machinist.  They relocated again to Montana and then to Kennewick, WA where Dan worked as a carpenter at Hanford. 

When the economy took a downturn, Dan relocated again to Montana this time moving to Kalispell, where he worked as a machinist and then as a cabinet maker for the newly formed Semi Tool. After 7 years he went to work for Renfrow’s Cabinet Shop in Columbia Falls and then Architectural Woodworking of Montana where he worked for many years as a journeyman architectural woodworker.

In 2005, Dan moved back to Libby, where he entered the electrical trade and worked for Preferred Electric as an electrician until 2009 when he retired. After his retirement he assisted his wife as accounting manager of Hometown Insurance Agency in Kalispell, splitting their time between Libby and Kalispell.

Dan was a kind hearted man with an offbeat sense of humor. He enjoyed playing golf, any type of competitive sport, woodworking, good music, and was a great cook. He loved babies ( anybody’s). He loved his wife and family, adored his sisters, and his own children, especially. He was proud of all their successes. He supported them with complete unconditional love. His grandchildren were a constant joy to him. He was an honest man and a loyal friend.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Mel Haynes, and sisters Fran Prouse, and Linda Warlick.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth, children Tiffany Story and Daniel Story, grandchildren, Tyler Collins, Emily Masuda, Cody Collins, Hunter Collins, Aidan Story, Alissa Masuda and Bella Story, sister Rose Madore, sister Gerry St. Onge, brother-in-law Cal St. Onge sister, Carolyne Langley, brother-in-law and dear friend Ron Langley, nieces and nephews and friends, too many to mention.

The public is invited to join the celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home, 422 West Second St., Libby.

Graveside services for the family to follow at Libby Cemetery.

Friends are invited to join the family for a continuing celebration of his life at the VFW, 114 West Second Street,  Libby.