Bernard "Ole" Aguirre III

Bernard Joseph "Ole" Aguirre III died on July 4, 2007, in Basin.

Born Jan. 17, 1960, in Butte, Ole was an avid outdoorsman, attending Butte schools until entering the Navy in 1977. While in the Navy, Ole was stationed in Oak Harbor, Wash., and also in Spain.

Among his outstanding Naval achievements, in 1977 Ole completed the Aviation Machinists Mate Courses Class A-1, and the Mate R (reciprocating) Class C1. His desire to help others led him to finish EMS training in 1979. Ole was also handpicked in 1986 as Collateral Duty Inspector while in Fighter Squadron one-two-four. While stationed in Rota, Spain, Ole continued his education in the states through course work. He worked in Naval Air Maintenance, receiving his certification in 1985, which may be what later led him to become a licensed pilot.

After leaving the military, Ole's love of the mountains took him through many paths in life. He began by cutting post and poles and worked up from there, attending the Great Lakes School of Log Building in Isabella, Minn., in 1993. He then established his own business, building custom log homes, some say the best in Montana, and began a wood furniture business, Ole's Montana. He also worked construction, as a phlebotomist and as a wildland firefighter.

Ole's spare time was spent hunting, fishing, and hiking in the mountains. Many of his trophy mounts and furniture pieces are on display at Berry Meadows in Basin.

Ole is survived by the love of his life, his daughter, Keva; daughter, Melissa, son, Mac; his mother, Viola Koivisto and husband, Larry; brother and nephew, Robert Aguirre and Robert Aguirre, Jr; sister and husband, Lisa (Aguirre) Moreno and Bob Moreno with sons, Bobby and Sebastian; sister and husband, Danette (Koivisto) and David Martinez; brother, David Vossler, special sister, Lolo Salcido; aunts and uncles, Mary Jane Peltomaa, Janet Valdez, Delores and Floyd Sayler, Phil and Kay Aguirre; grandfather, Toivo Koivisto. He has numerous close cousins, nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to mention but who mean as much.

He was preceded in death by his father, Bernard Aguirre Sr.; grandparents, Elsie and Eugene Johansen, Bernard and Millie Aguirre, Sylvia Koivisto; aunts and uncles, Norma Johansen, Carl Johansen, Robert Aguirre; and stepsister, Nanette.

A memorial service will be held outdoors at 44 Valley St. in Basin, Sunday, July 15, at 3 p.m., followed by food and refreshments at the Basin Community Hall.

Memorials: Ole's daughter, Keva, at the First Boulder Valley Bank.

K&L Mortuaries and Crematory is in charge.