Gregory Bach

On  April 14th, 2022, Gregory Paul Bach, 66,  passed away unexpectedly in Washington DC while on vacation with his wife and close friends.

Greg was born on August 3rd, 1955 in Phillipsburg, KS. He spent his childhood in Stuttgart, Hugoton and Sublette Kansas and the stories of his childhood antics were endless.  As he became a young man, he spent his summers farming and developing what would be a strong work ethic.  Greg graduated from Sublette High School in 1973 where he excelled at track and football. He went on to attend Wichita State University on a football scholarship and then transferred to Fort Hays State University where he graduated with an Industrial Arts Degree in 1978.  While in college, Greg took time to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, which would become a lifelong passion.

On August 14th, 1976, Greg married his high school sweetheart and soul mate of 45 years, Elva Wedel. The day after Christmas in 1978 they moved to Baker, MT with the dream of someday living in the mountains. His dream of the mountains would be delayed and he would spend the next 43 years in eastern Montana, western North Dakota, and Wyoming working in the oil industry as both a manager and salesman.  They welcomed their beloved daughters, Melissa in 1980, Jennifer in 1982 and Lacey in 1985.  His three girls were the light of his life and he was a constant source of support and guidance to them.  Since retiring, Greg and Elva had recently moved from Casper, WY to Kalispell, MT in the summer of 2021 to be closer to their girls and grandchildren and Greg was finally able to realize his dream of living in the mountains.

Greg’s true passions were flying, hunting, reading, history, and gun collecting.  He had many close friends who he created countless memories with while hunting and flying. His wittiness and dry sense of humor will be remembered by all.  Over the years, he was involved with Civil Air Patrol and EAA where he had the opportunity to take kids on their first flights through the Young Eagles program.  He loved history and there wasn’t a battlefield from Montana to Kansas that he hadn’t visited.  Greg and Elva enjoyed traveling and had the opportunity to visit many amazing places from St. Lucia to Hawaii to Alaska.  Greg was a true family man and greatly enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, and 7 grandchildren. He was happiest when he had his entire family around the dinner table.  Greg and Elva’s new home was on a grass air strip with a hangar for his plane and space for all of his many collections. He was truly happy in his final days.

Greg is survived by his wife Elva Bach of Kalispell, MT, his children, Melissa Voller (her children, Aiden and Maddy) of Missoula, MT, Jennifer Dahlman (her spouse Trevor and children Bailee and Carter) of Kalispell, MT and Lacey Larson (her spouse Josh and children Kinley, Hadley and Lincoln) of Kalispell, MT; his mother, Bettie Bach of Hugoton, KS, and his sister Sandra Passmore  (her spouse Bob) of Hugoton, KS. He was preceded in death by his father Paul Bach.

A funeral service for Greg is scheduled for April 23 at 1:00 pm at Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell, MT. The service will be immediately followed by a graveside burial at Fairview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Northridge Lutheran church, as Greg’s faith was of great importance in his life.

Friends are encouraged to visit our website at www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolences for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory caring for the family.