John Bills

John Anthony Bills, age 42, of Kalispell, passed away on March 3, 2022 in Kennewick, WA. John was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, to Peggy Malgren and Geoffrey Bills. He was born second of 3 children by his mother and many step siblings as well.

John married his love, Deborah Bohannan, on July 7th, 2007. They learned over the course of their 15 years together how to love each other unconditionally and with grace and faithfulness. They added their first son Kaleb Anthony in 2008 and began their journey of being parents. He left a legacy of boys. Kiden James came along in 2011 just after making the switch to being a lineman. John was so proud of being a lineman and showing his boys the heights to which they could rise. The twins came along just as John graduated from Mountain States Line Apprenticeship. They were born in 2015. They were 2 months old when John took his final exam and passed. He moved his family to Colorado the first time where he was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis. He struggled with walking but continued to work hard. A year later he was forced to get his first hip replacement. Doors closed in Colorado and he moved his family back to Montana. He worked all over Montana but was rarely home. He invested in a camper trailer and his family went out on the road with him. They moved all over Montana and then down to Colorado the second time where they bought their first house. They met friends they still call family and enjoyed life. Doors closed again and he moved his family back to Montana once again. From there he traveled alone to work in Washington and Oregon on big substations.

The things that John loved were simple. He loved his wife and children so much that he worked through pain and crappy days and crappy jobs to provide for them. He loved God’s creation so much that he camped and fished and hunted with his boys even when it was hard to do so. He loved cooking, grilling and especially smoking and was pleased when his family reveled in the delicious meal he prepared. He loved Montana. The green parts anyways. He loved seeing the sunsets and the snow. He loved watching the tamaracks turn yellow in the fall and seeing Glacier Park a hundred times. He loved hiking to see the water falls and four wheeling up the mountainside. He was a puzzle man. He was great at figuring out puzzles and making impossible things work. He called it “the lineman way”. But I think it was just his way. And he loved his country. He was willing to fight for it like his grandfathers. But he was not able to. He stayed active and aware of the challenges his country faced. And was outspoken about protecting the ideals that it was created with and to encourage not to give up fighting for this country. And he loved God. Yahweh, he called him. His faith was strong and simple. He’d remind his wife when times were tough, “Don’t worry, God’s got us. Of all the things, I did not grow up knowing God, but I knew still that he was watching out for me. That’s why I came to Montana, to find Him. And I found you, and Him.” He didn’t preach or push God on others, but he was bold in sharing when others asked him about his beliefs.

And John loved people. He was a very tender heart. He was loyal and willing to help no matter what. Giving of himself to be there for his friends and family. He was keenly aware of people’s intentions. He treated everyone with respect even if they didn’t deserve it. He joins his grandparents Anthony Keith and Helen Malgren, and Harold and Peggy Bills and his mother, Peggy Lynne Cross, in his rest. He is survived by his Father Geoffrey Bills and his Stepmother Julie Bills, his sister, Lisa Marqiewitz, his brother, Jesse Cross, his stepsister, Lindsey Rushford, and stepbrother, Christopher Rushford, and stepsisters, Kaiya Cross, and Kendra Cross, by his wife Deborah Bills, his son, Kaleb Anthony Bills, Kiden James Bills, Lance Keith Bills, and Liam Daniel Bills.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday March 13, 2022 at the Red Lion Inn in Kalispell with a reception to follow. Burial will take place at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.