IR sports pays tribute to several folks who passed away last year

Melvin Blanchard, 98, was a lifelong bowling fanatic, starting out as a young man on a homemade alley in a barn, using wooden balls. He was also instrumental in starting the local model airplanes Flying Club. Cal Jorgensen, 95, a college basketball player at Utah State, enjoyed fly fishing and skiing in Flathead County. Many years later, he became a staple at Nelson Stadium rooting for grandsons (and Saints’ quarterbacks) JD and Ty Emmert.

Jewel Hurley, 94, was an ace fast-pitch softball (windmill) pitcher and player, with two women’s State championships, on the Helena Freezers in 1950 and ‘54. In nine seasons, she went 101-15, including six no-hitters, and once struck out 20 batsmen (out of 21) in a 7-inning game. Tom Battershell, 92, Jefferson High football player and captain of the Panthers’ basketball team in the late 1940s. Chuck Darling, 91, a 3-sport athlete at Helena High in 1945-46, went on to earn a gold medal as a 6-foot-8 forward on the 1956 U.S. Olympic basketball team, with Bill Russell.

Beverly Tomaskie, 91, was very active with the Helena Trail Riders, Helena Women’s Drill Team, and local O-Mok-Sees. For over 30 years, Beverly and husband John trained and ran quarter horses and thoroughbreds in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Arizona and Canada, until the late ‘90s. Alice (Bennett) Petrie, 90, was the first Helenan to earn an Alpine skiing scholarship. As a member of the Belmont Ski Team, Alice won numerous races, before qualifying for Vermont’s Middlebury College ski team, where she continued placing high against some of the top racers in New England.

Sara Brown-Hilger, 90, was a member of Helena High’s “H-Club” as a GAA competitor. Raised on a ranch in the Dearborn Valley, she could handle a horse as good as any cowboy, capturing several State O-Mok-See championships with the Helena Trail Riders. 

Beryl Rucker, 89, was a member of Fort Benton’s 1951 State Class C basketball championship team, and runners-up in 1952. Wes Lowe, 86, enjoyed coaching Little League Baseball and officiating several other sports in the Bozeman/Manhattan area, before relocating to Townsend.

Roy Pace, 86, worked in the sports department of the Independent Record from 1967-96, the last 26 years as sports editor. For much of the 1970s he also served as the department’s main photographer. Roy was also a longtime football official cowboy poet. Jack Vaughn, 86, a versatile all-around athlete, played in the men’s slowpitch softball leagues for over 25 years, with several State championship teams. Jack bowled three 300 games, aced three holes-in-one on the golf course, and competed in multiple national 8-ball pool tourneys.

Jim Gross, 86, coached Helena High girls (1975-84) and boys (1984-1992) boys basketball, and Carroll College womens hoops (1992-2003) for 29 years. He was the first to coach both a prep gals (1984) and guys (1991) State cage championships in Montana, and also guided the Lady Saints to the 1999 Frontier Conference title. Terry Judge, 86, a local pioneer water skier/jumper in the early 1950s, gained notoriety when he and his buddy Clint Grimes sank a jet ski to the bottom of Canyon Ferry Lake after taking it over the jump.

Allan Quist, 86, enjoyed snow skiing, backpacking and fishing. John Woolsey, 85, was a pitcher (known for his famous “butt pitch”) for the 1948 Great Falls city Little League baseball champions, and played hockey with the GF Americans. His passion for flat track motorcycle racing was followed by hill climbing, motocross racing and cycling in the hills. Jerry Foster, 85, a four-sport athlete at Helena High from 1951-54, “Ozie” gained fame on the baseball diamond, with the Helena Legion, and later on the Copper League champion East Helena Smelterites.

Max Burner, 85, an HHS Class of ’54 member, loved golf (a 10-handicapper), bowling, the Grizzlies, the LA Dodgers, Arnold Palmer, watching tournaments and his twin brother Morris. As sports editor of the Great Falls Tribune, in 1966 he was selected Montana’s Outstanding Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportswriters Awards Association. Farrell Rose, 85, enjoyed riding and breaking quarter horses on his ranch.

Bud Iwen, 84, was the voice of Carroll College football and basketball on the radio in the 1960s, twice earning Montana’s Sportscaster of the Year, in 1965 and 1969. Emilee DeKam, 84, was a pioneer of girls’ sports in Montana. She helped start a gal’s track & field team at Helena High in the early 1960s, founded and directed the Helena Girls Invitational Track Meet from 1968-77, and was inducted into the Helena Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Reggie Brewer, 83, served as Director of Last Chance Horse Racing for seven years, and enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing cribbage. Gary Hoovestal, 83, a multi-sport athlete at Hysham High – benchmarked by his pugilistic skills in the boxing ring and two top-six placings at the National High Schools Finals Rodeo – served as an assistant Carroll College football coach in the 1970s. A true cowboy and expert horseman, he raised a herd of high-quality horses.

Jerry Lillibridge, 82, excelled in Martial Arts, fulfilling 30 years of dedication by achieving the rank and title of Godan (5th degree Black Belt) through American Shotokan Karate. Bob Kuchenbrod, 82, had kept active through snow skiing, water skiing, back packing, playing handball, golfing and by climbing Mount Rainier.

Clayton Linebarger, 81, an all-around athlete, was a 5-year varsity Legion baseball player – his Helena team batting average record of .367 lasted 52 years – and a 1958 high school All-American football player for the Bengals. Clayton went on to play men’s slowpitch softball into his 50s. John Nickovich, 81, played baseball for the Helena Legion and the Copper League’s East Helena Smelterites. He held the rare distinction of getting hits off of future and former MLB pitchers Dave McNally and Satchell Paige.

Rick Reese, 79, led a storied life as a mountaineer, environmentalist and conservationist. In 1974, the Utah native co-founded the group “Save Mount Helena,” which maintained the city park from further erosion, and helped organize the inaugural Mt. Helena Run in 1976. Colleen (Seibold) Smith, 79, enjoyed cheer-leading and baton twirling for the Helena Cathedral High Greenies, and fishing with her father and uncle near the family cabin in West Yellowstone.

Bob Liffring, 79, wrestled and played football for Missoula County High in the early 1960s. Bob became an avid fisherman, rock collector and poker player. Dennis Meyer, 78, was the first local 2-time State rasslin’ champ, in 1961-62, at 165 pounds. Dennis started at O-guard for three years with the University of Montana football team, and he was a 2-time, third-place finisher in the Big Sky Conference wrestling championships.

Eric Feaver, 77, possessed with an indefatigable energy for constant movement, he remained active by hiking, biking, snow shoeing, skiing, and competing in almost every local area footrace and trail course available. John Meyer, 76, was an All-State football player for the Bengals in 1964. A powerful 6-foot-4, 230-pounds, among his feats of strength were walking unassisted to the ambulance after practically being buried alive, and bending a16-penny nail with his bare hands.

Johnny Stemple, 75, was a tough youth boxer with the Helena Tykers Boxing Club, and a pitcher/catcher for the Elks C-League baseball team. One of the best poker players in town, Johnny also took part in numerous legendary battles on the pool tables against the most skilled players around. Jackie (Holmes) Peccia, 75, was a member of Harlowton High’s cheer team in the mid-1960s. Ken Breidenbach, 75, raced stock cars in the “Sportsman’s Class” in the 1980s.

Bill Bradford, 75, a Helena Cathedral High grad, was a Little League baseball catcher, a target shooter with the Prickly Pear Gun Club, and an excellent alpine skier. Mike Petrino, 74, played football for Carroll College in the late 1960s, and later served as a Saints assistant from 1993-98, before assisting with Jefferson High’s gridders for several years. Sylvia Bailey, 70ish, enjoyed camping and boating. A passionate, longtime bowler, she owned a career PR 296 game.

Ron Grovom, 74, a multi-sport athlete at Glasgow High in the mid-1960s, he played quarterback at Northern Montana College, as well as basketball and baseball for the Lights. His adult sports included golf, hunting and pool, and coaching Small Fry football and freshman hoops at HHS and CHS. Bob Wing, 74, performed numerous long hikes, such as the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu; and also places like Costa Rica, Mexico, and Greece; as well as numerous trails throughout Montana. Elwin Franklin, 73, a Vietnam Marine combat veteran, was a wiry wrestler for HHS coach Jack Cohn’s Bengals in the late 1960s. Ooo-rah!

Steve Harper, 72, was a 3-sport letterman at Helena High in the late 1960s, in football, basketball and track & field, and went on to grid collegiately for the Rocky Mountain Bears. Later on, he excelled at race-walking and became national champion in his age group in the 20 and 50K, including an unofficial world record by age. Mary Jane Chambers, 71, loved riding, training and working horses; and had a passion for fishing, at which she celebrated out-fishing her companions with a jig and her patented fishing shanty song.

Danny Murphy, 70, excelled at cross country, wrestling and track, for the Cut Bank High Coyotes. In 1970, he placed fourth at Class B State mat tourney at 130 pounds. Christine Casey, 70, became an avid water skier on Lindberg Lake during her youth, and later on pursued lifetime activities such as alpine and cross country skiing, and distance running.

Mark Ryckman, 70, was a good City youth baseball player and junior varsity football lineman for the Helena Bengals. His adult hobbies included scuba diving in exotic places; building, working on and driving fast vehicles; and harvesting a variety of Montana’s elusive wild game, at which he became “a pretty good hunter.” Tom Jacobson, 70, was an avid hunter, a shooting marksman and a gun aficionado.

Mark Littell, 69, pitched for the Kansas City Royals (1973-81) and St. Louis Cardinals (1982), before serving as the Helena Brewers pitching coach from 2003-06. Walter Blatherwick, 68, a longtime bowler, fired his first and only perfect 300 game during the final year of his life. Tim Jones, 68, ran track for Helena High in 1970-71, and was part of the Bengals’ winning medley relay at the 1970 Jaycee Relays, with teammates Tim Rector, Dave Jones and Craig Olsen.

David Lorenz, Jr., 67, loved chasing elk, starting the first weekend of bow season through the final weekend of rifle season. He also enjoyed shooting pool, golfing, riding his ATV, shooting his bow, and going to the gun range. Rob St. Clair, 66, was a passionate hunter growing up in East Helena, and later became a firearms instructor and president of the Polson Shooters Association. His other pastime was building and racing 4X4s and funny cars.

George Price, 62, a Chicago native and longtime proficient pool player on the local tables, was part of the Masters 3-man “Untouchables” with Gene Stocke and Marcus Lynch, which placed 17th of 256 teams at the 2010 APA National Tournament. Jim Pelletier, 59, enjoyed playing golf, softball and pool, and watching the Raiders’ games. Kevin Asay, 60, a standout rassler at Deer Lodge High, won the 1979 Dillon Invite 126-pound crown, placed as the Southern A runner-up, and competed in several national junior AAU tourneys. He later passed on his knowledge of the mat sport to his sons, Bruin grapplers Simon and Sam.

Mike Spotorno, 54, was a 6-foot-5 All-State basketball center and All-Conference football receiver for Helena High in the mid-1980s. Later on he took up handball and captured five State open doubles championships, three with brother Ryan. Steve Richards, 42, played baseball in Japan with a group of local 15-year old All-Stars in 1994. A 2-year Helena Senators pitcher, in the win over Kalispell at the 1998 State Legion Tournament, he pitched a 4-hitter, with 9 strikeouts in 6 innings.

Nels Rowsey-Wilkins, 35, loved camping, hiking and swimming. He took several memorable back-packing trips with his Dad to Leigh Lake. Derek Walter, 23, participated in youth karate, soccer, basketball, football and baseball. His love for the outdoors and anything with four wheels included hunting, fishing, camping trips, attending sprint car races and 4X4ing with friends.

Curt Synness can be reached at 406-594-2878 or email curt52synness@gamil.com. He’s also on Twitter @curtsynness_IR