Kenneth Smith

Kenneth John Smith, 60, passed away on March 16, 2006, in Kalispell after a long illness.

He was born in Rochester, N.Y., on March 3, 1946, to Lavern and Ada Smith. His father died when Ken was a young child, and he was then raised by his mother and grandmother. He grew up in East Rochester and attended Monroe Community College.

Ken owned a seamless gutter company in New York, and his love of the outdoors and fishing started there. Trolling for brown trout or salmon in Lake Ontario or casting for bass and pike in the Finger Lakes with friends was what he liked to do best. He taught Linda fly-fish casting, and Linda introduced him to skiing in the Bristol Mountains.

Ken and Linda retired in 2001, moved to Whitefish and began building a log home on a hill with a view. Ken was a craftsman, and he and Linda did a lot of the building themselves. Having projects and doing construction was very rewarding for both of them. Some of his friends, when working on building projects around their own homes, might ask Ken for advice or help. It didn't matter how long his own "to do" list was, he would be more than happy to help out if he could.

Ken loved fishing with his buddies and floating the rivers in Montana and the Elk River in Canada. The peace and serenity of fly-fishing was very soothing for his soul. He spent many enjoyable hours at the Orvis shop in town discussing techniques and hot fishing spots with friends.

Weekday mornings would find Ken having coffee and a sticky bun with the guys at the Wildwood Cafe. There was always a lively discussion on every imaginable topic. Ken had a keen interest in gardening. He designed and planted the gardens surrounding his home. Watching the perennials come up each year after a long winter gave both he and Linda great pleasure.

Ken was a person people you were comfortable with and enjoyed being around. He always had a positive attitude and a kind word. He was a loving husband, father and friend.

He is survived by his wife Linda and his daughter, Kimberly Ann Kolb, her husband Chris and Ken's grandsons, Tanner and Griffin, from Tampa, Fla.

A celebration of Kenneth's life will be held at his home in Kalispell on Saturday, July 29, 2006, at 2 p.m.