Thursday, November 21, 2024
35.0°F

Dick TrinastichThe cutthroat trout of the Hungry Horse reservoir can rest a little easier now that Dick Trinastich has passed away.

| September 30, 2010 11:00 PM

Richard "Dick" Trinastich was born July 10, 1931 to Pete and Florence Trinastich in Great Falls. He graduated from Great Falls High School, where he was a standout on the Bison basketball team. Dick received a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Montana. After two years at the U of M, he enlisted in the army and was stationed in Korea and Japan.

Upon his return, Dick married his high school sweetheart, Carol Lindsay, at a ceremony in Massachusetts. They returned to Montana and he enrolled at Northern Montana College, where he finished his final two years of basketball eligibility and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education.

Dick and Carol moved their family to Columbia Falls when he accepted a job offer from the Columbia Falls School District in 1959. This is where they raised their four children, Bob, Cheryl, Randy and Richard. Dick taught physical education for grades kindergarten through eighth for the next 25 years. During that time Dick coached football, basketball and track. His love for basketball (and a way to make some extra money) drew him to refereeing high school games. He officiated many state tournaments for both boys and girls.

Dick and Carol moved to Helena in the early 1980s and lived there for many years. Dick loved his home on the top of Rimini Road and took great pride in his beautiful flower gardens there. After Carol's death in 1993, Dick returned to Columbia Falls to be closer to three of his children and their families. Time with family is the thing Dick treasured most. He loved watching his children's — and eventually his grandchildren's — sporting and extracurricular events.

The outdoors is where Dick felt most at home. He was an avid fly fisherman since his youth and spent much of his free time on the water. As the years caught up to him, his focus switched to trolling for trout. Dick spent every summer since his return to the area camping on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir. He was there so much that the Forest Service finally gave him a new "job" these last few years as a camp host at the Riverside boat launch. There he met many new people and spent time catching up with old friends. Many hours were spent with family and friends around the camp fire, telling stories and jokes.

Dick had a great sense of humor and was definitely the life of the party. He could hardly wait every year for the snow to melt so he could get back up to camp. He would stay until the bitter fall weather finally forced him to call it a season. He simply loved it there. So it was quite appropriate that when he passed away on Sept. 12, 2010, he was up at camp.

Dick is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Carol and his son Bob. He is survived by his daughter Cheryl Schweigert and her husband Val, son Randy, son Richard and his wife Shannon, grandchildren, Kari Peters and her husband Tyler, Katie Schweigert, Jordan and Tyler Trinastich, and Nathan and Jared Trinastich. He is also survived by his brother Ron and his wife Kat, brother Bob and his wife Nora Beth, sister Janet Squires and her husband Larry, daughter in law Connie Trinastich and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation was Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 1-6 p.m. at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls.

Funeral services will be Thursday (today), Sept. 23 at 10 a.m., also at the Columbia Mortuary.

Memorials can be made in his name to the Wildcat Athletic Endowment Association, P.O. Box 2732, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.

Lyle David Casterline

Lyle David Casterline was born in Missoula on April 1, 1962. He died in Columbia Falls July 17, 2010. He was 48.

A memorial service will be held at the Columbia Falls United Methodist Church, 117 Second Street West on Sept. 27, 2010 at 1 p.m.

Lyle grew up in Columbia Falls, where he helped his parents with their farm and attended school. He graduated in 1980 and then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving until 1984. After his discharge, he attended the Phoenix Institute of Technology, receiving an A.A. in Electrical Engineering. Lyle held jobs in Kalispell, Boise, Idaho, and Las Vegas, Nev.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Wilma (Logan) Casterline.

Survivors include his father, Donald Casterline of Columbia Falls; his fiancee, Shea Mulanax of Columbia Falls; his sister and brother-in-law Jean and Kevin Pulsifer and nephews Gregory and Eric, all of Ashland, Mass.; special friends Rick McIlhargey and Tim Streifel of Columbia Falls, and Ricky McIlhargey, Josey McIlhargey and Dina Foxx, all of Kalispell.

Memorials may be made to the Columbia Falls United Methodist Church, 117 Second Street West, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.