Dennis Gregory

Dennis Ronald Gregory was born to Lester and Jeanette Gregory on September 12, 1943. They lived in California, where his father, Les, and his Uncle Clyde worked at the Lockheed Martin factory. Dennis grew from a tow-headed toddler to a creative mischief maker, running around with his older brother Gary and his younger brother, Bob, in Missoula, Montana, and the surrounding woods, rivers, and lakes. He played hockey and was the catcher on an American Legion baseball team.

From 1962 to 1966, Dennis excelled at electronics training and application in the U.S. Air Force. He gained security clearance to work in the underground, "war room" at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, Nebraska. He married Janice Yates in 1963, and his first daughter, Robin, was born in the hospital at Offutt, in 1964. His second daughter, Karin, made her appearance in 1966. Dennis honorably exited the Air Force and his new employer, Honeywell, sent him to Massachusetts for supplemental electronics training. Honeywell then shipped Dennis and his family to Oakland, California, with a stopover in Missoula to see family, to work with huge computers that could take up a whole floor of a high-rise building. It was 1967 and California was in the midst of anti-Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights movement. Dennis' son, Kelly, was born in 1969 and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon the same year. Oakland seemed a chaotic town to raise kids and, in June of 1970, Dennis and Janice, and their three small children moved back to their home-town of Missoula, where both sets of their parents still lived, with other family members close. Much time was spent with the Gregory's and the Yates family. Unfortunately, Dennis only had four more years to hunt, backpack, and relax at Flathead Lake with his father, as Lester Gregory died of a massive heart attack, June of 1974, two months shy of his 59th birthday. A couple of years later, Dennis and Janice went their separate ways.

Dennis met Laurie Ann Fisher Widener in 1985, when they both worked with Laurie's brother, Jeff Fisher, on a condo project at the Big Mountain, Whitefish, Montana. Jeff was Dennis' most fierce, J-24 sailing, competitor on Flathead Lake. Laurie went to the "other side" of the lake (South Flathead) when she married Dennis July 5, 1986, with her young daughters, Mary and Amy showing up as the cutest little flower girls. There were some rough spots when the condo project went awry and Dennis and Laurie moved back to Missoula. While Laurie earned her teaching degree from the University of Montana, Dennis again used his electronics background and created Montana Security, a security system and fire alarm company. With a lot of hard work, Montana Security was such a successful business Dennis trained his son, Kelly, and was able to pass Montana Security to him when Dennis retired.

At the age of only 49, the heart problems he inherited from his father, raised their ugly heads to plague Dennis off-and-on, for the rest of his life. That didn't stop Dennis! It was a catalyst to make the most of life. You see, the Universe issued Dennis an abundance of fun tickets, so he turned his bad heart into an excuse to lead an extraordinary life. If he was going to die in a couple years, he better have the most fun ever and do and see as much as possible! His 38-yr old granddaughter, Jaida, marveled, "For as long as I can remember, Grandpa Dennis was about to die and he just keeps on living." Dennis used his fun tickets every chance he could and made new friends everywhere he went. Maybe that's why his life was unexpectedly lengthened to the age of 82 - he had so many fun tickets to use up! And more lives than a cat!

A love of the outdoors and adventure fueled many stories, and Dennis was one heck of a story teller! His daughter Karin and son-in-law Doug were still enjoying stories the week before Dennis passed. Hunting, camping, fishing, sailing, and traveling, were some of his favorite past times, but of all his activities, he loved back-packing the most and wished he made more time for back-packing. What about beer? Let's not forget Dennis' quest for good beer (the opposite of crap beer). In his travels, he would aggressively seek-out the local micro-brew pub and give it a go. He helped to create the American brown ale, Moose Drool, and the Big Sky Brewery in Missoula, Montana; that's NOT crap beer.

Dennis liked to bring a keg of Moose Drool, or other Big Sky beer, on road trips with the Mavericks ski group. They partied on a bus to and from ski resorts around the North West. A keg was also fun for tailgating at University of Montana Grizzlies football games. Dennis loved to watch the Grizzlies, not only at their stadium in Missoula, but also traveled with Laurie and friends to many away games. This past Fall, Dennis enjoyed the Grizzly games on TV, from the comfort of his recliner.

Dennis was a sailing legend on Flathead Lake as the captain of X-Rated, with his wife Laurie on the fore-deck and a shifting array of his progeny, other family, and friends making up the rest of the crew. How many people did Dennis and Laurie teach (or try to teach) to raise and lower the spinnaker? No one can calculate how many perfect days were spent on Flathead Lake; how many bottles of choco-mint were consumed; how many safety meetings the captain called. "Helm over!" The captain sees a freshening breeze to starboard and the crew scrambles. Dennis was certified to "captain" chartered sailboats and took family and friends sailing to exotic waters near Belize, the Grenadines, the Virgin Islands (American and British) and more.

He walked slower in his last few years but he didn't lose his intense flame and desire to be on-the-go. Dennis and Laurie continued traveling, with a cruise through the fjords in Norway only five months before he passed. We had always known Dad would die, everyone dies, but we were in a unique situation at the end, where we got to spend a little time with Dennis and say our goodbyes. Dennis and Laurie's house was a revolving door of friends and family coming to say farewell to Dennis, and to hear one last story. Dennis told a story of fishing at a high mountain lake, sometime in recent decades, when a little brown butterfly landed on his hand and stayed for a while. It was a remarkable event. After he moved further around the lake to cast out his line, the little brown butterfly landed on his hand again. Well, Dennis thought that was a strange thing; one time was remarkable, twice was an oddity. As he ate his dinner, back at the camp, he'd be danged, but that little brown butterfly landed softly on his hand, again! He felt it was trying to give him a message, maybe from the spirit world. Dennis told us, when he was gone, he would appear as a little brown butterfly and when we see that butterfly, we can know that Dennis is in a good place. Laurie saw a little brown butterfly when she golfed today. Just stopping in to say, "Hey, I'm doing fine" and "Good shot Laurie!"

Dennis is survived by his wife of nearly 40-years, Laurie Gregory; his brother, Gary Gregory (Susan); his brother, Robert Gregory (Judith Ann); his daughter, Robin Gregory; his daughter, Karin Schwartz and son-in-law, Doug Schwartz; his son, Dennis "Kelly" Gregory and his daughter-in-law, Lisa Gregory; his step daughter, Mary Widener; his step daughter, Amy Widener and her husband, Scott Matetich; his grandson, Rhory Perdue; his granddaughter, Jaida Fehrman (Brian); his granddaughter, Amber Rau; his granddaughter, Melissa Kooren (Nick); his grandson, Jacob Schwartz (Kattie); his granddaughter, Amanda Schrantz; his grandson Jett Gregory; and 8 great grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews, and a ton of beloved friends.

In lieu of flowers or gifts Dennis suggested donations to the Flathead Lakers: Defenders of Flathead Lake and the clean waters that flow through it.
You may donate online https://www.flatheadlakers.org/how-to-give
or with a check in the mail (add Dennis Gregory Memorial to your note at the bottom of your check). Thank you for your thoughtful gift.
Flathead Lakers
PO Box 70
Polson, MT 59860.