Nancy Doyle

Nancy Doyle of Kalispell, Montana, went to be with our Lord in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 29.  She died peacefully in her sleep after battling several health issues.  If she were here, she would probably characterize the cause of her death as ODTAA (One Damn Thing After Another).

Nancy was born in July of 1939, in Conrad, MT to her parents, Amos and Mildred.  Amos and Mildred had 4 children – all girls.  Nancy was the youngest of the four and had incredibly close relationships with all her sisters, Cal, Jean and Liz throughout her life.  Cal, the oldest sister, passed away earlier 2019.  Jean lives here in the Flathead Valley and Liz lives in Oregon.

Nancy married her husband, Bill, in Conrad in the spring of 1958.  The young couple quickly started a family when Chris was born later that same year. Pat followed a little over a year later.  Nancy often told amazing stories about how the two boys kept her and Bill busy preventing them from inadvertently killing each other.  Amy came along a few years later; as the only girl, Amy was always a stabilizing element within the family.  When Gene was born a few years after Amy, the young couple decided they’d had enough.  Soon after Gene was born, the family moved from Great Falls to Kalispell because Bill saw an opportunity to start his own business.  For the next 3 decades, Bill’s businesses prospered; Nancy helped in any way she could, providing secretary services, and managing Bill’s offices. 

The family thrived in the Flathead Valley.  That isn’t to say that everything was perfect, but each of their kids will tell you that they had a great childhood.  Nancy and Bill were terrific parents; both were deeply involved in all aspects of their kid’s lives but managed to avoid being “helicopter” parents.  Pat, Amy and Gene benefitted enormously from having Chris as the eldest sibling – he was a terrific role model.

Shortly after Chris graduated high school, he succumbed to a form of cancer.  When someone loses a spouse, they are called a "widow" or "widower." When a child loses his parents, he is called an "orphan." But there is no word in the English language to describe a parent who loses a child – because it violates every natural order.  Bill and Nancy clung to each other and to their children.  With the support of their friends and family, they made it through this incredibly demanding period.

Perhaps Nancy’s greatest pleasure in life was watching each of her children raise children of their own.  She loved the fact that her kids had married well and were deeply involved in their own kid’s lives.  Pat married Sandi Ogle and raised two boys, Chris and Isaac.  Chris recently married Ashlee and they have two children of their own, Sadie and Lewis.  Amy married Jeff Castro and they raised two children, Kiana and Kyler.  Gene married Krysti Ames and they  raised three children, Stefani, Sam and Sara.  Altogether, Nancy has 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren with many more likely to come.

After becoming an empty nester, Nancy spent much of her time giving back to the community.  She volunteered in a variety of endeavors, including teaching kids at Head Start, managing gift shops at both a hospital and an assisted living center, as well as contributing to several ministries for her church. 

Nancy absolutely adored Montana.  But sometimes the winter cold was too much for her and Bill.  They began “snowbirding” during the winter months by traveling via motor home to warmer climates in California and Arizona.  After a few years of enduring the tedious nature of driving the motor home everywhere, they decided to settle on a place in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  They loved Lake Havasu so much that they decided to build a winter home there.  For several years, Nancy and Bill could be found sitting on their back deck enjoying the high desert climate throughout most of the late fall and winter months.  Each spring, however, you would find them back in their favorite place – the Flathead Valley of Montana. 

Friends and family are already missing Nancy’s quick wit and the seemingly endless flow of jokes and stories she could tell.  She would always end a telephone conversation with a joke, many of which were “off-color”. 

Services will be held Friday, January 3rd at 10:00am at the Risen Christ Catholic Church, 65 West Evergreen Drive in Kalispell.  The family wishes to thank everyone who supported and prayed for us during her final days.

Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Nancy and her family.

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