Byron L. Weber

MISSOULA - Great Falls native, Central Catholic High School and College of Great Falls graduate Byron Louis Weber, 65, a decorated Vietnam Marine Corps veteran and retired educator who was a passionate environmentalist, died of progressive lymphoma Thursday in Missoula.
A celebration of his life is 11 a.m. Friday at the Florence Carlton School gym, followed by a walk through his outdoor classroom and a picnic. Attendees are invited to bring a small rock to add to a memorial rock pile to be built for him. Cremation Society of the Rockies handled cremation.
Byron Louis Weber was born in Great Falls on May 3, 1945, to Wilfred and Helen ( Demarest) Weber, and died Aug. 26, 2010, in Missoula, the victim of progressive lymphoma. He lived briefly in the Sweetgrass Hills and Shelby prior to moving to Billings. He received his primary grade education at Highland and Fratt Memorial schools in Billings and Ursuline Academy in Great Falls. At Great Falls Central High he wrestled, played football as an end for the 1962 state championship team, and was active in student government as the student body president and Boy's State delegate. Byron's story on the gridiron and afterward was recently documented in Coached For Life by Ed Flaherty, the story of the championship team - the men, the coaches, and their lives after football.
At the College of Great Falls, Byron majored in biology, graduating in 1967. During this time period he developed a passion for living things which evolved into a lifetime theme. He also served in leadership positions, including student body president.
After graduating from the College of Great Falls, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and went to Vietnam as a second lieutenant in the infantry. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V." After an honorable discharge from the Marines, he traveled across the country to personally visit the families of his men who died in combat. In recent years, he participated in reunions of his Vietnam unit. Last year he was instrumental in obtaining a posthumous medal of valor for a medic who died in action.
After Vietnam, Byron followed his quest to see more of the world, hitchhiking through South America for 18 months, returning with more experiences than he could ever relate, including floating down the length of the Amazon. Back in Montana, he worked in the Yogo sapphire mines, hayed in the Sweetgrass Hills, and finally settled in the Bitterroot area. While there, he lived in a cabin and spent countless hours in the outdoors making detailed observation about his natural surroundings. From his meticulous notes over the seasons, he developed a natural history calendar for the area.
Byron returned to school at the University of Montana, where he obtained his teaching credentials and first taught at Target Range Middle School. He then found a perfect fit teaching at Florence from 1984 until he retired in June of this year, mirroring his mother's career as a first-grade teacher.
Byron and Jane Byard were married in Missoula on May 17, 1986. They have one son, Nick, who graduated from Big Sky High School in 2006 and Montana State University in 2010. Upon Nick's high school graduation, the family traveled to South America, recapturing part of Byron's original quest.
Byron's interest in classifying his world began at his grandparents' ranch in the Sweetgrass Hills when he was very young. After seeing a bird, his grandmother rushed into the house, retrieved her bird book, and identified the bird. With this instrumental influence, Byron's house was filled with specimens and species, including a butterfly collection (with a butterfly he discovered) in his living room and tarantulas crawling in a terrarium on his counter. He passionately taught about the environment to countless fans as the Bug Guy on MTPR's "The Pea Green Boat." He was a part of the first Earth Day celebration in Washington, D.C. He established an exemplary outdoor classroom at Florence Carlton School, which was dedicated to him on Earth Day this year. Byron was also a founding member and vice-president of the Missoula Butterfly House.
Byron lived by the Golden Rule as a person who was generous, tolerant, encouraging, gracious and thoughtful. He weighed his words before speaking, and always made time for everyone. His presence enhanced his home, his school and his community.
Byron was preceded in death by his father, Wilfred; nephew Ryan Van Luchene; and cousin Kay Girard of Scobey.
He is survived by his wife, Jane, of Missoula; son Nick of Bozeman; his mother, Helen, of Kalispell; brothers, Steve (Bethany) of Kalispell, Greg (Lois) of Anchorage, Alaska, Mark (Lou Rae) of Twin Bridges, Stuart (Sas) of Belgrade; and sister, Jane Christman (Lanny) of Dutton.
At the celebration of his life, please also bring a lawn chair, a pie and a story about Byron to share.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be sent to Missoulabutterflyhouse.org or Florence Carlton Outdoor Classroom (c/o Florence Carlton School).
Condolences may be posted online at www.gftribune.com/obituaries.