Leon Syth

Leon Dale Syth, 81, peacefully passed away on Jan. 2, 2015, at home surrounded by his family after a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis.

Leon was born in Sidney on May 30, 1933, to parents Lucy and Herold Syth and moved with his parents to Kalispell as a young child. He attended grades one to eight at Batavia and then attended Flathead County High School, graduating in 1951.

After graduation Leon worked for Safeway Foods in Kalispell; was a salesman for Nabisco and also sold Filter Queen vacuums. Leon was a jack-of-all-trades and could fix or repair anything.

While working for Safeway, on Oct. 1, 1951, Leon met the love of his life, Evelyn Whaley. After a whirlwind romance they were married on March 16, 1952, and remained together until his death.  

 In 1996, Leon took a sabbatical to LaPaz, Mexico, where he built a church of which he was extremely proud.  

Leon and Evelyn owned Leon’s Mobile Homes in Kalispell for about 10 years where he also sold Arctic Cat snowmobiles. They purchased The Pines Cafe in Columbia Falls in 1976 and together ran it until selling it in 2004.

Over the years Leon enjoyed the outdoors hunting, fishing, camping and snowmobiling. He was a self-taught taxidermist and displayed his work at The Pines. In later years Leon took up oil painting and carpentry.

Leon was preceded in death by his father and mother; brothers Wade Syth, Marlin Syth and Jerry Syth; nephew John Syth; infant son Leon Ralph Syth; and grandson Daniel Fredenberg.

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Evelyn; sister Lois Krause and husband Bob, of Bigfork; children Elizabeth Fredenberg and husband Ron, of Kalispell, Leona Tilton and husband Ritchie, of Columbia Falls, Laura Ingram and husband Michael, of Las Vegas, Lana DeGrio, of Grass Valley, and Leon A. Syth, of Phoenix; 18 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren; and five great great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be heldat First Church of the Nazarene, 1295 Whitefish Stage Road, in Kalispell, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at noon. Interment will follow at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in Kalispell.