Joseph E Devlin

Joseph Eugene Devlin passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, at his home in West Riverside. He was born Jan. 15, 1924, in Moscow, Idaho, to Patrick Henry and Elizabeth Horvath Devlin.

Dad spent his younger years traveling the Northwest while his father worked road construction. At one point they lived in Missoula at the base of the mountain near the Van Buren Street exit. During his teenage years he worked in lumber yards in Oregon.

He enlisted in the Army during World War II and trained as a ski trooper and rock climber for the 87th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division. He was deployed overseas to Italy and was one of two survivors of his platoon in the Battle of Mount Belvedere. He received various ribbons and a Bronze Star for his courage and cheerfulness during several successive actions in Italy during 1944.

Upon his return home he met his future wife Helen Kay Keeley on a blind date set up by his sister-in-law. After courting Kay, mostly by mail, they were married in Butte on July 7, 1956. They went on to raise five children and traveled throughout the United States during his career as a salesman for Weyerhaeuser Lumber. They were finally able to return to Montana after he landed a job with Anaconda Forest Products. Missoula and then Bonner became home. He later worked for Champion International and Exchange Lumber before retiring. For 20 years he was a faithful volunteer for the Piltzville station of the Missoula Rural Fire Department.

Dad was a pleasant, easygoing guy famous for his smile. He was a master at fixing the “owies” of his children and his grandchildren. He loved the great outdoors and spent many years raising horses, hunting, walking and doing yard work, always accompanied by the family dog. He loved a good laugh and time spent with friends. He was loved tremendously and will be deeply missed.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Helen Patricia Johnson; his parents; his brother John Devlin, and his sister Patricia “Babe” Stone.
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He is survived by his wife, Helen Kay Devlin of West Riverside; his children Keeley (Billy) Wills of Potomac, Tomi (Tom) Briggeman of Kalispell, Mary (Dick) Panchot of Clinton and Michael Devlin of West Riverside, and son-in-law Rick Johnson of Arlee. Other survivors include grandchildren Tom (Rebecca) Shannon of Potomac; Jeb Cowan of West Riverside; Adrianne (Mike) Taylor of Juneau, Alaska, Malarie (Chad) Juel of Scobey, Tiana (Robbie) Easterbrooks of Belvidere, Illinois, Keeley Welker of Great Mills, Maryland, Tyson (Brandi) Chapman of Sidney, Cole Chapman of Clinton, Breanne (Charles) Headley of Seattle, Washington, and 20 great-grandchildren.

Interment of his ashes at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula and a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.