Wendall Dean "Windy" Beye

Wendall Dean “Windy” Beye passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday in Missoula at the age of 79. Windy was born on December 16, 1942 at the family home in Edgewater, CO as the 12th of 13 children to Marinus “Lefty” and Ada Rose (Hagler) Beye. He attended grade schools in the Denver area, and graduated from Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, CO in 1960. After high school, he was employed in the Denver/Castle Rock area until his enlistment with the US Navy. He received an honorable discharge in 1971.

Shortly thereafter he started a thirty-six year tenure with Mountain Bell which later became US West and then Qwest Communications. In 1972, Windy transferred from Denver to work in Missoula where he later met and married Peggy Scott Dreyer.

Windy received an accommodation from US West for his outstanding public service while assigned to the Superior/St. Regis and west area where he worked for 15 years. While in Superior, Windy was a member of the Superior School Board, the Mineral County Fair Board, was a past secretary and president of the Superior Lions Club, a member of the Superior Area Chamber of Commerce, a past president of the Superior Booster Club, a charter member of the Mineral Mountaineers square dance club, and a member of the 911 committee for Mineral County. Windy was also a member in good standing of the “Pike’s Coffee Club” in Superior and always held fond memories of the friends and games there. He was a member of the Rattled Squares in Missoula, and later danced with the Belles & Beaus square dance group in the Bitterroot before returning to Missoula to live in 2003.

Windy made friends everywhere he went and was the life of any party. He worked hard, played hard and loved his family, Denver Broncos football, Griz sports, and later in life, golf and pickleball. A highlight of his golfing was a Hole in One at Larchmont in 2010. He loved being retired and full-filling his dream to spend winters in Arizona, and summers in Missoula where he worked part-time at the Campground and Dance Center up Lolo Creek.

Windy was preceded in death by his beloved parents, brothers Jack, William, Robert, Ronald, and Glen; sisters Helen, Shirley, Maurine, Virginia and Nancy; his father-in-law Donald V. Scott, mother-in-law Rae Scott.

Survivors include Peggy, with whom he had 48 years of marriage, sons Bruce (Debra), Bryan (Heidi), granddaughters Mollie (Nate) Freese, Amy Beye Cheff, Alyssa Russell, Brylea Beye; grandsons Rylan Beye and Tim Melendez; great-granddaughter Madison and great grandsons Brady and Will; sisters Joann Styron, Margaret Nelson, sisters-in law Joan Wiley, Betty (Rich) Poitras, brothers-in-law Don C. Scott, Thomas K (Bobbi) Scott, and many, many uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and good, dear friends. He will be greatly missed.

In keeping with the wishes of Windy, cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the Missoula Food Bank at 1720 Wyoming Street; Missoula, MT 59801.