Gary Sturm

1949 - 2024

Gary Sturm

January 23, 1949 - September 30, 2024

Born on January 23, 1949 near Pleasanton, Kan. to William (Bill) Sturm and Helen (nee Kanngiesser), Gary slipped off to join the Wilde Jagd on September 30, 2024. In between, he grew up on a small farm in eastern Kansas with his brothers and sisters (Bill, Claude, Jim, Debbie, Sandy and Denise) and a passel of dogs (Flicka, Duke and Dealer to name a few); went off to University of Kansas (Rock Chalk Jayhawk) to earn a BS (engineering physics); served his country in the US Army (hoorah) as a military policeman/JAG investigator; courted and married his favorite K-State wildcat; then headed west with his new bride, Karen (nee Larsen), to earn an MS (civil engineering) at the University of Idaho.

As soon as he could swing it, he and Karen moved to Montana where he fathered two great kids: Camas (Michael) Kakuk and Derek; did a little hunting and fishing (even served a couple of terms as the president of the Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association); partnered with some damn fine dogs (Reuben, Wing, Sharpie, Sounder, Shooter, Sonora and yes, even Grifter) and one somewhat cranky mountain pony (Barney); rode motorcycles as fast as he could; anchored first base for a couple of seasons on the Trolls softball team; and even spun a few yarns for the IR outdoor page.

But it was not all fun and games, Gary spent his spare time pretending to be "civil" and over his 40-year engineering career he helped improve water and wastewater facilities throughout Montana and surrounding states. In a rare role reversal, Gary was particularly proud to have been part of several abandoned mine clean-up and remediation projects in the mountains of central Montana, as his Dad had spent some of his teenage years working underground in the Tri-State coal mining area and a few years later in the Potash mines of southeast New Mexico. Not often is a son given the opportunity to metaphorically repair the damage left by the father. He also served as president of the Montana Society of Engineers during the Society's centennial year of 1987.

But just to be clear, in his younger days, Gary's work included many hours of hard, hot, and nasty manual labor. He was just as proud of the two union cards he once carried as he was of the Montana and Idaho Professional Engineer certificates that hung on his office wall.

Late in his life "Fishpa" was privileged to hang around long enough to help his grandgirls, Eleanor and Rose, land their first fish and finally boat that "near" five-pound Missouri River rainbow he had spent close to 40 years chasing.

If you owed Gary any money, you're now off the hook. There will be no services, as the money set aside for the wake was instead wisely spent on fishing lures and shot shells. Please leave the flowers in the ground and spend your money on the river or at a bar on your way back from up North, or whichever direction your favorite hunting spot lies.

Simple Cremation Montana

315 E 6th Avenue

Helena, MT 59601

406-410-1321