William Charles "Chuck" Hollenbaugh

William Charles "Chuck" Hollenbaugh, born in Indian Head, Pa., on July 25, 1928, joined his many ancestors Dec. 9, 2013. He spent his last days surrounded by his loving wife, Barbara; and his children, Fonda Hollenbaugh (George Gula) of Pittsburgh, Raina Hollenbaugh (Jay Brodie) of Delafield, Wis., Darren Hollenbaugh (Cindy Jones) of Spokane and Galen Hollenbaugh (Maryann Costello) of Helena.

On Thanksgiving Day, all of his children and their spouses and all eight grandchildren were present at his table as well as Barbara's son, Jack Boyd of Missoula. Fonda's children Larissa and Nicholas, Raina's children Hector and Liam, Darren's children Brendan, Andrew and Eric, and Galen's 2-year-old Martin brought great joy to our house that day.

Chuck was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Jo Ann Sharp Hollenbaugh; his parents, Paul Franklin Hollenbaugh and Mary Olive Best Hollenbaugh; and his brother, Frank Hollenbaugh. He is survived by his three sisters, Delores DeLuca of Columbus, Ohio, Betty Stewart of Youngstown, Ohio, and Marilyn Saye of Jay, Fla.; sister-in-law, Betty Hollenbaugh of Dayton, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews.

Chuck's love of the woods and all of nature began as a boy in the hills of western Pennsylvania. On the family farm, he loved to grab his gun and his dog and bring home dinner. He worked for more than a year in the coal mines in and around Dayton, Pa., with his dad, then decided he wanted an adventure in Alaska, so at age 19 he ventured north. In his memoirs, he tells grand stories of hunting and fishing in Alaska, as well as his work on the Alaskan railroad. He was much influenced as a boy by the stories of Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour and continued to enjoy their writings throughout his life.

He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Alaska. He returned to Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in forestry from Penn State University, starting at the Mont Alto campus and finishing at the State College campus. There he met Jo Ann, who was attending Penn State majoring in chemical engineering. They were married in December 1956 and Fonda was born in April 1959.

Chuck worked for four years as the regional state park supervisor with the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Water. He continued his education at Penn State, receiving a master's degree in forest management in 1961. After the birth of Raina in 1963, they moved to Michigan. Darren joined the family in 1965 and Galen in 1968. The Hollenbaugh family stayed in Ann Arbor for eight years, where Chuck worked with the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation.

Chuck longed to return to the West, and finally arrived in Missoula in 1971. He lived in the same home in the Rattlesnake Valley for 42 years, where he and Jo Ann raised their four successful children. He taught forestry at the University of Montana for three years. Then he had a long career as a land use and recreation planner with the Bureau of Land Management, working in Salt Lake City, Salmon, Idaho, and Missoula, where one of his primary duties was the management of Garnet Ghost Town. He loved nature, hunting, fishing, and planting and cutting down trees. He leaves behind a grand group of fellow Penn State foresters who hold a reunion every year, and he was helping to plan the next reunion here in the West.

On Jan. 16, 2012, Chuck married Barbara Fontaine of Missoula. They met at Unity Church, where both were longtime members. They enjoyed their short time together and felt truly blessed to have each other. Chuck was the chair of the Accessibility Committee at Unity and oversaw the construction and installation of a handicapped lift so that everyone could access the different levels of the church. He also volunteered at Partners Hospice for three years after Jo Ann's death. He was active in the Garnet Preservation Society and the Historical Society of Fort Missoula. In the past few years, he wrote many entertaining short stories describing his full and adventurous life. He brought great warmth to others, and his smile and hugs will be missed by many.

For his 82nd birthday in 2010, Chuck requested that his family join him for "one last backpacking trip" of 20 miles to Big Creek Lake in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Eight of his children and grandchildren joined him, and his daughter-in-law Cindy made a beautiful photo book of the trip. He also finished his 10th Bloomsday 12K race (wearing his signature cowboy hat) in Spokane this past May with his son Darren and grandson Andrew.

Ever the adventurer, we are sure Chuck is thinning trees and planning recreation trails in the Big Country and the other Big Sky. A celebration of life will be held at Unity Church in the springtime when all of his children can return.

Donations in Chuck's name may be made to Partners Hospice at 2687 Palmer St., Suite B, Missoula, MT 59808; or to any charity of your choice.

Oh, and one more thing – we can't seem to find his chainsaw. Hmmm

Read William Hollenbaugh's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.