Wesley Nott

Wesley Nott (84) died peacefully at his home while listening to Hank Williams, Dean Martin and Patsy Cline early Wednesday August 12th surrounded by Mike, his son, a very close friend Sheryll Stewart and the great workers of Hospice Missoula, Montana. He lost his battle with cancer but was courageous in his fight in the same way he has always faced adversities in his life—head on. Our dad is a fighter and a champion who went out on his own terms. As Aunt Virginia recently said "tough as nails…true to the family name: Nott".

Dad was born in Powell, Wyoming to Alfred & Lillian Nott on June 23rd, 1931 …land of the Wild West and was from a family of 12 children, five brothers and six sisters. He is survived by: Barb; brothers: Virgil & (wife Judy) ; Al & (wife Shirley); sister-in-law Lena (wife of Harold. Sisters: Arlene, Virginia and Pat (& husband Walt). He was preceded in death by three Sisters; Ilene, Madlen, Marylin, and three Brothers; Harold, John, and Babe.

The outdoorsman nature of him was instilled at birth in Wyoming, and after a brief 63 year stint in California, he finally returned to the land of hunting and fishing he has always loved with his second wife Barbara. In Montana, our dad divided his time between a few activities. He and Barb spent time traveling around the state to discover and enjoy what Montana had to offer. Barb managed to round out a world perspective in dad by getting him to New York and occasionally abroad.

When not on the road, he volunteered for the Montana Forestry Department cutting down trees and clearing brush. Some argue his intent was simply to access back roads that were under lock and key inaccessible to the public, only to take advantage of some of the hottest fly fishing opportunities. He also spent time on the golf course in the summer time and the bowling alley in the winter time. A true competitor… and everybody loved this guy.

HIS YOUNG YEARS -- While attending Analy High School in Sebastopol California, Wes was a competitive track man, setting records in pole vaulting and began his softball pitching career that lasted for 20 years. He graduated in 1950 and was married to Bonnie Burkolder in December of that same year. He was a service man in the US Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1951.

In 1952 he and Bonnie (deceased 2007) started a family with four children: Mike (63) Vancouver British Columbia; Judy (61) Santa Rosa, California; Chris (57) Georgia; and Lisa (deceased 1990). He has seven grandchildren: Jennifer (35); Chris (42); Matt (35) Brandon (37); Erin (36) Jacki (37); Sal (35) with nine great grandchildren.

SPORTS, TECHNOLOGY & RELIGION – He loved sports – he was a pole-vaulter in high school and was one of the top fast-pitch softball pitchers in the United States for years along with his brother Al (we call him 'Bub'). Regarding pole vaulting we heard that recently there was a high school kid in Montana who vaulted over 17 feet to set a national high school record. Our dad topped 12 feet back in his high school days in the last 1940's with a bamboo pole and a landing pit filled with sawdust. We are confident Wes bears no grudge about the 17 foot mark being recently achieved.

Dad had little time for technology (Blackberry, iPad or a computer) – but we are sure he would have loved to have had access to today's pole vaulting technology (fiberglass poles and thick, air filled cushions to land in). It is possible (knowing dad's competitive nature) that the 17 foot mark may have been knocked off in 1950.

CHARACTER – We have often joked that dad would (and probably was) this heroic cowboy with a six-gun on his hip in the 1800's, representing fairness on behalf of good people. Lessons he taught us as kids revolved around two things: 1) a strong work ethic – the value of hard work…he lived it. And 2) doing things right – he would say: "if you're going to do something… do it right". He drilled this into Judy and I as kids and the idea of being competent rings strong for us as kids even today.

THE MONTANA YEARS – Over the last 21 years, every year, Mike traveled to Missoula for his birthday (coinciding with Father's Day) for a 4-day weekend of golf days and just hanging out. They had great times and shared a very strong father/son relationship. "I was lucky as I had the opportunity, on many occasions over these 21 Montana years, to express to our dad just how much he meant to Judy and I and how he impacted our lives as a father". If Judy and I had a message for everyone reading this, it would be to communicate with your loved ones how you feel about them 'during' their life when you have the chance… we were lucky and we did.

RELIGION – our dad was not a religious guy… never really talked about it… not part of his world. But what WAS part of his world was this: Nature, animals, friends and family. He loved having breakfast every morning at the Press Box with his buddies, especially Harvey his golfing pal. Everybody that knew him at the Larchmont golf course loved him. He loved bowling with George Scott and Irma Wester. He always managed to draw out a smile or a laugh from others he encountered. And even in his last days, people surrounding him were gravitated to him by some kind of magnetism.

He loved the outdoors and could pick out a deer on the mountain 2000 yards away (the hunter in him). Although hunting and fishing involve killing in a way, he had a love affair with nature and everything in it. His interaction with nature… his involvement with friends and neighbors … his relationship with Barb and his interaction with his kids mark the person who is intimate with life. Is that 'not' being religious? It is the pure intention of religion.

Dad…rest in peace….you have added value to all of us in this life.

A private ceremony involving only his children will take place where his ashes will be spread in the rivers of the Bitterroot and in the hills of Missoula where elk and deer feed… the places he most loved. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1951 and a 21 gun salute will take place at the Western Montana Veterans Cemetery in his honor. This is what dad would have wanted and we support his wishes one thousand percent. He was not about people gathering sadly about his passing… he may very well have been Tecumseh… to us he died as a hero.

If you are so motivated to give, please make your donations in dad's name to the Hospice organization that helped him. The estate of Wesley Nott has made a contribution to: Hospice of Missoula and we invite you to join us. These people are angels walking on earth.

Hospice of Missoula
800 Kensington, Suite 204
Missoula, Montana 59801
www.hospiceofmissoula.com



Read Wesley Nott's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.