Frederick 'Fred' Reese
Frederick "Fred" Reese, of Columbia Falls, died July 19, 2015, in Whitefish of Parkinson's disease.
He was born July 31, 1938, in Sulfur, Oklahoma, to Oscar Blake and Beatrice (Hysell) Reese.
He met his wife, Clare Schommer-Reese, while rangering in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. They married in 1982. Their son, Blake, was born in 1994.
Fred studied at Montana State University-Bozeman and University of Montana-Missoula, earning a bachelor of science degree in earth science/education.
Fred taught at Centerville schools for three years in Sand Coulee, and then 20 years in special education (K-3) at Glacier Gateway and Ruder schools in Columbia Falls. He was kind and patient with his students.
He loved the outdoors and seasonally rangered in Death Valley National Park for two seasons and Glacier National Park for 45 summers, starting in 1966. Fred worked as a campground ranger, backcountry ranger, road patrol on the east side, then assistant subdistrict ranger at St. Mary and Many Glacier. He hiked almost everywhere in Glacier, and used this knowledge to help others with trail information. He loved Glacier, hiking, biking and skiing in his free time with many friends.
Fred left Glacier for a law enforcement ranger position in Cuyahoga, Ohio, for three years. In 1982, he returned to Glacier as the campground ranger at Avalanche, then Fish Creek. He started a hiking group on his own. He finished his work there as the West Entrance supervisor in 2013.
He served in the U.S. Army in Fulda, Germany, for three years from 1959 to 1962.
Fred is survived by his wife Clare, their son Blake, brother Troy and Joy in Oklahoma, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Gwen Witkowsky of Oklahoma City, and brother Art of Houston.
A celebration of life will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Glacier National Park Community Building in the Park Headquarters area by West Glacier. If fire causes a closure of West Glacier, contact Clare at the email address below for an alternate location information. This is a potluck. For out-of-towners who can't fix food in their motel, or if you find out about this too late to RSVP, come anyway, we will have extra food. Please RSVP to fredreesecelebrationoflife@gmail.com. Bring Fred pictures if you have any. The Facebook "Fred Reese Celebration of Life" event is where you can go to RSVP, share stories if you can't come, and is open to anyone. You don't need to be on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/events/1483189268646604/
His family thanks the kind staff of Whitefish Center nursing home, and Frontier Hospice.
Columbia Mortuary is caring for Fred's family.