Michael W. Lehman

On May 19, 2019, Michael (Mike) W. Lehman, 61, was tired of the gray weather so decided he'd go paint the sky blue himself. Who knew a heart attack would be his excuse to get out of this world and move on to the next. Mike was a great man, he was loved and respected by all that knew him; if you had that pleasure you would agree. Mike had a very rough childhood, he was put through the ringer to say the very least. Even with all that he went through and the scars that he walked away with, Mike made life better for everyone he crossed paths with in any way that he could. Mike was a family man to the core, he believed that your family came first followed by the rest of the world. Being that the family he was born into wasn't all sunshine and roses he did his best to make sure the family he created for himself had the very best he could provide. Mike found the love of his life when he met Tana and she was his wife of nearly 40 years. They built a beautiful life together raising three boys, Chris, Dustin, and Cory, into men. Mike lead by example, showing in his daily actions how to treat others and how to be a man of integrity. Mike held family relationships near and dear to his heart, which he demonstrated in the way he nurtured them. He maintained monthly calls with his sister, Elaine, which he did his darndest to not miss. Then there were his Thursday afternoon lunch and Yahtzee 'dates' with his grandmother-in-law, Roberta. Or the fact that he would never miss one of his kids 'events' from a baseball game, to a concert, to the first day on a job, Mike was there physically and emotionally to support each endeavor. Mike cherished these types of relationships and interactions, just showing again how much family meant to him.

A close second to family was work, something that brought Mike great joy and pleasure. Mike was a dedicated and truly loyal employee to O'Reilly Auto Parts, celebrating over 40 years of service with them last August. Mike was an automotive paint specialist, and if you asked around town you'd probably hear that he was the ONLY automotive paint specialist to work with. Mike could tell you things about automotive paint that even the manufacturer of that paint didn't know. He dedicated his working life to helping grow small, local, auto body shops. Supporting and educating those that are run by only the highest caliber of people. If you either worked in the industry or had to have your car fixed at some point, Mike will have touched your life, even if you didn't know it.

From the day Mike was born until the very day he passed, Mike lived his life as an optimist, always truly finding the best in a situation and exemplifying it. We could go on and on with stories and great things to say about Michael W. Lehman, but we'll stop here to let you remember him as you knew him, and hopefully honor his memory today and going forward.

Please take some time to join Mike's family and friends on June 8, 2019, at Faith Chapel in Billings, MT at 10:30 a.m. to send him off in style. This celebration of life will the best way to honor Mike's legacy and memory, we look forward to seeing you there.