Mark Franklin Wolfe

Mark Franklin Wolfe, 61, peacefully passed away of heart failure at Saint Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, Montana on December 20, 2019. He is predeceased by brother Kevin Kelly Wolfe, father Jefferson Franklin Wolfe, and mother Frances Kelly Wolfe. He is survived by his sisters Karen Wolfe-Dodge (Doug Dodge), and Diane McCormick, nephews Joshua McKay and Jesse Tripp, nieces Adea Wolfe and Celeste McCormick, as well as a great-niece Zaydee Tripp. Mark was born in Missoula, MT July 26, 1958 and graduated from Stevensville High School in 1976.

After high school, Mark began a life of adventure; traveling to Mexico, Central America and Columbia. He lived with the locals, learning their customs, experiencing their food, and living simply; hitchhiking back and forth between these countries and the US for several years.

During his summer travels he was introduced to the rafting community and was hooked. He worked a couple winter seasons at Crested Butte, so that he could ski. In 1981 he landed in Yellowstone and worked late summer through fall. Then he and 4-6 friends headed to Whitefish.

Mark supported himself as a cook, a busboy, and then waiter at Grouse Mountain Lodge. He mastered all the slopes of Big Mountain and much of the surrounding back country. In the summers he spent time on Whitefish lake in his small sailboat, floating the waters of the Colorado, Selway, Snake, and other western rivers, as well as hiking and camping in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Around 1999 he moved to Polson to take over his parents’ residence. He began carpentry full time. Unfortunately, the demands of his work were hard on his beat-up skiing body. Additionally, the winters were difficult due to damage to his feet and hands caused by hypothermia years earlier when his sailboat capsized. In the end, the years of hard living took their toll. Mark lived life on his own terms.

A Celebration of Life BBQ/potluck will take place in Polson on July 25th. Read details in June on the online website hosted by Garden City Funeral Home at https://www.gardencityfh.com/obituary-listing. Additionally, see the website for a slideshow of Mark’s life.

In lieu of flowers please visit one of the following websites if you are 18 years or older and do not have a Living Will. Do this for family members, if not for yourself. It is simple, fast, and some states only require two people to sign as witnesses. It then can go into a database for easy access, and it is free!!! https://www.legalhandle.com/living-will-form.html or https://eforms.com/living-will/