Donald P. Wold

– Don Wold, 97, of Missoula, passed away Sunday, April 19, 2015, of natural causes. He passed quietly at St. Patrick Hospital surrounded by loving family.

Born Aug. 25, 1917, to Paul and Ellen Wold in Evansville, Wisconsin, Don was moved to Missoula as a young child to be raised by an aunt and uncle due to the premature death of his mother.

He attended primary schools in Missoula, then attended college at Montana State University in Bozeman, graduating with a degree in agriculture.

His education was interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He served as machine gunner on B-17s flying 50 missions over the European front before his honorable discharge Sept. 7, 1945. Upon his return, Don resumed his education at Bozeman, where he served as president of Pi Kappa Alpha.

After graduating he returned to Missoula to work for the Montana Dairy Breeder Association until 1954, when he went to work for M&S Ready Mix. There he remained until retirement. During these years, Don designed concrete and supervised its construction for various Missoula structures, including many University of Montana buildings. One of his proudest achievements was the engineering of a permanent "M" from concrete, which continues to be a beloved Missoula icon gazing over our city from Mount Sentinel.

Don enjoyed panning for gold with family and friends during his free time. He had great stories to tell from his life, including meeting Clark Gable when he was working his way through college as a bellhop at the Palace Hotel in Missoula and surviving on hunting and fishing while working and living at Rock Creek for a summer job. He was a sought-after dance partner throughout his life, attending Senior Citizen dances well into his 90s.

Don married Bonnie Carter after college. They had one son, Kenneth Wold-Fitzgerald.

His second marriage was April 6, 1949, to Bette Francis Fous. Together they raised and supported their children's every endeavor.

Don was preceeded in death by his wife, Bette; and sisters, Marge Pett of Wisconsin and Marian Cooney of Minnesota.

His survivors include sons, Kenneth (Mary) Fitzgerald of Kalispell, Robert (Mary) Duncan of Hillsboro, Oregon, Allen (Andrea) Wold of Missoula and Brett (Vanessa) Wold of Florence; and one daughter, Paula (Les) Duncan-Graham of Greater Manchester, England. Don was very rich in grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will all miss him.

The family will not hold a public service, but if you wish to honor his memory, please send a donation to Partners in Home Care, which helped him and his family greatly at the end of his life.
Read Donald Wold's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.