John Bristow

Col. John “Jerry” William Bristow M.D., 81, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Oct. 20, 2020.

Jerry was born on Jan. 23, 1939 to Jack and Marian Bristow in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Jerry grew up in an Air Force family with stations across the U.S. and overseas. He attended college at University of California, Riverside and completed medical school at the University of San Francisco before joining the Air Force as a flight surgeon.

He married his first wife, Barbara Hosford, in 1966, and they had two sons, David and Danny Bristow. After Barbara passed away in 2000, he married his second wife, Sharon Wang, in 2001, who brought four stepchildren into his life, Randy and wife Synneva Wang, Pam and husband Ron Pace, Gayle and husband Darcy Otto, and Brenda Wang. He is survived by his wonderful, blended family, including his wife Sharon, his sons and stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, Hiram, Sarah, McKenna, Taylor, Justin, Loren, Tyler, Shelby, Emma, Alissa, Brian, Kaylei and Paige, and seven great-grandchildren.

Jerry had a distinguished career in the Air Force, with stations across the U.S. and internationally, including Alaska and Turkey. Throughout his career he garnered the respect and admiration of his peers and retired from the Air Force as a full colonel in 1985 after 20 years, before starting private practice.

Jerry was deeply committed to his vocation as a physician, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Through his 30-plus years practicing medicine, Jerry delivered over 5,000 babies, touching the lives of thousands of families.

Beyond his medical career, Jerry devoted his life to family, friends and country, positively impacting the lives of his loved ones. His family will cherish memories of family game nights playing cards and mahjong. In his free time, he loved to bowl, golf, read, and take classes to satisfy a lifelong love of learning. He traveled often and was blessed to see much of the world. He was an active member of Risen Christ Church and the Knights of Columbus. He enjoyed volunteering his time at the Kalispell Northwest Montana History Museum and teaching fourth graders cribbage at local elementary schools for 20 years.

He was an incredibly accomplished, hardworking man, whose humility demonstrates the quality of his character.

Services will be held at Risen Christ Church on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. Due to the current health concerns, seating will be limited; please contact family for details. His final resting place will be at Fairview Cemetery in Columbia Falls. Flowers may be sent to Risen Christ Church, 65 West Evergreen Dr., Kalispell, MT 59901. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901, and Risen Christ Church. Friends are encouraged to visit www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolences for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.