Frances George Rieley, 88

Frances George “Bill” Rieley, 88, of Libby passed away March 5, 2021, of natural causes.

He was born May 1, 1933, in Great Falls to Frank and Anita Rieley of Missoula. He attended Missoula County High School, where he graduated in 1954. After graduation, he went to work for Keno Stores in Portland, Ore. From there, he went to work in the sawmills in Polson and later the Plum Creek and St. Regis sawmill in Libby. After a number of years at St. Regis, he joined the Laborers’ Union and went on to work on the Libby Dam for more than 20 years. He stayed with the Laborers’ Union until retirement in 1993.

Bill met Lena May Weingart on a blind date in 1961. They were married Nov. 17, 1962, and moved to Libby in 1965. He was a father to three sons.

Bill is preceded in death by his father, Frank; mother, Anita; brother, Mike; and granddaughter, Lauren May.

Bill is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lena of Libby; son, Brian (Myja) of Puyallup, Wash.; son, Mark of Marysville, Wash.; son, Keith (Nancy) of Bellingham, Wash.; three grandchildren: Sydney and Declan of Puyallup, Wash., and Mason of Marysville, Wash.; and two nephews: Michael (Kim) of Missoula and Patrick of Helena.

Bill loved bowling and his Lionel trains. He loved his family and fishing the Kootenai with his boys every weekend. He loved people; he loved to laugh and tell jokes; and he loved playing cards with his friends.

Bill loved everybody and could get along with anyone. He had no greater love than he had for Lena. He loved his boys, family and friends. He was a great husband, father, friend, hard worker, but most of all he was a great and caring man who had a big heart and cared for everybody.

The Rieley Family would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. Gunther and all the nurses and other doctors at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center for the great care given to Bill.

The family also would like to thank the people who sent cards and flowers along with their thoughts and prayers.

Husband/Dad

Remembering you is easy, I

do it every day.

Missing you is the heartache

that never goes away.