Gary Eckert

On Feb. 7, 2025, Gary Lyle Eckert, 85, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus at his home in Kalispell after a yearlong battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, being comforted by his wife and family.

Gary was born on Nov. 24, 1939, in New Deal, Montana. He was the fifth child of Maye (Samuelson) Eckert and Leander "Lee" Eckert. His oldest brother, Bobby, passed before Gary was born. Gary joined William "Bill," Barbara and Lee Jr. His baby sister Mona joined the family a year later.

Shortly after Gary was born, the Fort Peck dam was complete and Gary’s dad, Lee, took a job with the railroad in Whitefish. The family remained in Whitefish throughout Gary’s youth and high school years.

He started working at a young age for Stacey Oil and after high school bought his first car, a Ford Crestliner, which started his love for cars that he kept throughout his lifetime.

After high school, he went to work driving a logging truck. It was at this time that he met the love of his life, Nadine Mitton. They met on a double date set up by their friends at the Blue Moon and found they loved dancing together. 

Gary and Nadine became forever dance partners when they were married on May 23, 1964. They continued to dance throughout their 60 years together, often in the kitchen.

The young couple settled in Whitefish, where their oldest daughter Dorene was born. Shortly after Dorene was born, Gary took a more stable job on the construction crew with the phone company in Helena. It was there that their youngest daughter, Darla was born.

In 1971, Gary had the opportunity to move back to his beloved Flathead Valley to work on the construction crew with Pacific Power and Light (PP&L). They moved to the west side of Kalispell where they remained for the rest of his life. 

Gary had many opportunities to advance his career further, but it required him uprooting his family to another location. He brought these opportunities to the family in order to make a family decision every time. Ultimately, he always chose stability for his family over fortune. He retired as a supervisor from Centurytel (now Centurylink) in 2001 after 30 years with the phone company. 

Never one to stay idle, Gary got his CDL and started driving logging trucks for his good friend, Doug Carie, 10 days after retiring from the phone company. He drove for Carie Logging for six years until Gary decided sleeping in until 5 a.m. sounded better than 3 a.m.

In 2007, he started driving for Tom Anderson at Glacier Precast. He continued working for Glacier Precast part-time until 2023. 

Gary was a true patriarch. He was a loving husband and a dependable provider, a great role model as a father and a big softy as a grandpa. He was so proud of his daughters and all his grandkids. He cherished his friendships from his youth, with the many co-workers he had throughout his lifetime as well as the coffee crew from the car club.

He was a self-taught jack of all trades and was never afraid to tackle a new project or figure out what needed to be done to fix pretty much anything. He was always the first to volunteer his help and the last to ask for help. Gary was a loyal friend that you could always count on. He also had a soft place in his heart for anyone, including strangers, going through tough times or challenges and did whatever he could do to help.

He was a great teacher. He taught his daughters and grandchildren everything from math, Montana history, how to drive and was especially proud of teaching his grandson, Logan, how to drive big trucks and helped him get his CDL. He taught us all the value of a hard day’s work, to measure twice and cut once and that any job worth doing was worth doing right. He was a mentor to many throughout his life.

Gary was a true Montana son and loved all that Montana offers. Weekends were spent camping, hunting and fishing. Whenever we did take a family trip out of state he always said, "Let’s hurry up and go so we can get back."

In his later years, he was able to get back to his love of working on classic cars, a hobby he shared with his grandsons. His crown jewel is a 1954 Ford Skyliner that he bought in boxes and built from the ground up into a beautiful show car. 

He was a longtime member of the Glacier Street Rod Association and the Moose Lodge and a lifelong blood donor, donating 14 gallons of blood in his lifetime.

Gary was a youthful, intelligent, strong and capable man right up to the end. He met his cancer diagnosis straight on and fought valiantly to have more time with his wife and family. He made sure nothing was left unsaid or undone. His passing leaves a huge hole in our lives and our hearts. We look forward to the day we will meet again in heaven.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Bobby, Bill and Lee Jr.; his youngest sister, Mona Benson; grandson, Jacob Kurtz as well as many extended family members and close friends.

He is survived by his sister, Barbara Wiprud; his loving wife, Nadine Eckert; his daughters, Dorene Kurtz (John) and Darla Harmon (Chuck); grandchildren, Ashley Kurtz (Charlie), Tyler Kurtz, Logan Harmon (Caitlin), Lauren Harmon and great-grandson Lyle Harmon; special niece, Marina Sears and close friends, Doug and Tom. He will also be missed by many extended family members, friends and coworkers. 

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home followed by a reception at the Moose Lodge. 

There will also be a celebration of life this summer. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Flathead Food Bank, Flathead Industries, or your charity of choice.