Willis Leroy Manley

Willis L. Manley, 83, of Missoula, passed away on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, of natural causes. He was born in Missoula on June 27, 1932, to William E. and Isabella B. Manley of Hall. He Spent the first 14 years of his life on a ranch at New Chicago near Drummond. In 1946 the family moved to a ranch on Willow Creek, in the Flint Creek Valley. Willis attended grade school and high school in Drummond where he graduated in the 13-member class of 1950. Following high school graduation, he worked at Montana Phosphate in Garrison.

In 1956, he married Margaret (Peggy) M. Lewis. They had five sons.

Willis entered the National Guard in 1954. In 1961, he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he entered active duty with the U.S. Army. He served two tours in Vietnam. The first tour was in 1963 with the 120th Aviation company stationed at Tan San Nhut Air Base, Saigon, where he served as the Army’s first, and only, forward air controller flying the 01 E “Bird Dog” fixed wing aircraft. His second tour was in 1969 at Nha Trang with the 117th Aviation Group. Between Vietnam tours, he returned to the Aviation School at Fort Rucker where he served as a flight instructor. In 1970, Willis was transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he became the S-3 and subsequently the Exec. of a Lance Missile Battalion. During this tour, he bootstrapped at Cameron State University where he finished his degree in Business Administration. While at Fort Sill, he was returned to Fort Rucker for three months of temporary duty to learn to fly rotary wing (helicopters). Following this tour he was sent to San Luis Obispo, California, to become a professor of military science at Cal Poly. Willis’s final assignment was as a Field Artillery Brigade Advisor at South Bend, Indiana.

Following retirement from the Army in 1982, as a full Colonel, Willis worked briefly in real estate with Chuck Hurt and Associates before actually retiring to enjoy camping, fishing, wood-working and caring for his beloved gardens. Willis was a highly accomplished wood-worker with his own extensive wood-working shop where he built toys, cabinets, furniture and other custom pieces.

Willis was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, James, Eugene and Wilber; his wife Peggy and his son John Paul. He is survived by his sister Helen M. Miles of Butte; his sons, Theodore, James, Matthew and Darren and their wives; his grandchildren, Amanda, Samantha, Isabella, Corey, Danielle, Madeline, Conor, Kate and Ryan; nieces, JoAnne and Sue and nephews, Mark and Mike. Willis is also survived by his very dear friend and companion Sonia Zenk.