Deirdre "Dede" Eitel

Deirdre "Dede" Eitel, loving mother, wife, daughter, sister and dear friend, died unexpectedly Oct. 31, 2008, near Bozeman, Mont. Dede loved running along mountain trails, her dog at her side. There she now rests, cradled by the mountains she loved so dearly.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. today at the Montana State University Fieldhouse. The public is invited to jot down a favorite story or memory and bring copies of favorite photos to put on display. Online broadcast of the service will be at www.eventbywire.com/viewevent/?id=886-211. In Alaska, begin viewing at 1 p.m.
Dede was born in Anchorage to Marvin and Kathleen Hathhorn in the middle of a snowstorm on April 15, 1963, the fourth of five children. The caul covering her face at birth was perhaps a portent of the beautiful human being that was to emerge and fill the hearts of so many.
Dede grew up first in Girdwood, then Anchorage, where she developed a profound love of the outdoors, cross-country skiing and running, and an inquisitive desire to truly know the world around her. She was a dedicated student and athlete, outpacing others both in the classroom and on the field. She graduated near the top of her class in 1981 with two first places in the Alaska High School Cross-Country Championships and was winner of the Anchorage Mayor's Marathon.
At the end of her high school years, Dede earned a scholarship to run with the University of Montana cross-country team and placed fifth in the AIAW Division I Intercollegiate 1981 Championships. She was the first American to cross the finish line and was later named to the University of Montana Athletic Hall of Fame. She continued running and skiing throughout the rest of her life, winning the John Coulter Run, the Governor's Cup and the Sweet Pea, among many other local races.
Dede's winning ways were not reserved only for athletic endeavors; the same determination to push herself beyond natural limits is evidenced by the loving attention she gave to her family, her community and her work. Throughout her career as a photo journalist, first as intern for the Salt Lake Tribune and later chief photographer for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Dede's photos brought to life the stories of many, ranging from those living on the streets of Bozeman to dignitaries in Islamabad, Pakistan.
While working on her photojournalism portfolio at Western Kentucky University, Dede became the 48th annual College Photographer of the Year for her photo story on the Amish. The awards she earned from the Montana Newspaper Association and the Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition are too numerous to print. Most recently she traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan as photographer for the Central Asia Institute, to which she devoted endless hours taking pictures and writing text that was "just right."
Though driven as a professional photographer and athlete, most dear to her were her husband, Tom Eitel, for whom she held a deep, intense love; her children, Morgan and Pipi, upon whom she showered endless care and attention; her brothers and sisters, Michael Hathhorn (Laura), Kristin Hathhorn (Mark Battaion), Siobhan Hathhorn (John Hines) and Joel Hathhorn (deceased); her parents, Marvin and Kathleen Hathhorn; and her many close friends and colleagues.
We will miss Dede's ability to see the world from a different angle, to make us laugh with a quick-witted comment at just the right moment, her loving and gentle attention to detail, and her thoughtful, sensitive nature.
In lieu of flowers, Dede's family would appreciate donations to The Morgan and Pipi Eitel Scholarship Fund, First Security Bank, 208 E. Main St., Bozeman MT 59715, 585-3800.