Obituaries
The Bigfork Eagle runs obituaries and death notices for people who have lived in the Bigfork area.
To submit, e-mail editor@bigforkeagle.com or call 837-5131.
Deadlines are every Monday at noon.
Robert L. Stayton
Robert Lee Stayton, 81, died Tuesday, May 18, 2010, at his residence in Bigfork.
Bob was born Nov. 11, 1928, in Great Falls, to Welby and Mattie Stayton.
He was raised on a small farm and started formal art training at the age of 6. In those beginning years, Bob drew and painted farm animals, wildlife and scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Horses dominated Bob's life, and he became an accomplished rider at an early age.
He spent his preteen and teen years in the remote Centennial Valley working as a ranch hand and honing his riding skills. Bob enjoyed storing the mental images of the ranch stock, wild animals and scenery while moving the herd.
A serious riding accident ended his intended career as a professional jockey, so Bob headed for college and earned his bachelor's of science degree from Montana State University. He studied industrial, architectural and commercial design and he graduated with a design and art education major.
Bob had both an enjoyable and successful career as a teacher and industrial designer, as well as many years as an interior business and commercial designer.
Throughout his life, Bob maintained his ties with his native Montana and chose to stay close to his early roots in the "Big Sky Country."
In 1980, with three sons well into their own careers, he chose to pursue his fine art career full time and created many excellent works in bronze.
Bob spent his last years in the Flathead Valley of western Montana, near the foundry where he spent a great deal of time personally overseeing the production of his sculptures.
The influence of his early encounters with nature, combined with his heritage of Celtic boldness and American Indian sensitivity, formed the foundation upon which Bob's work were based, containing a unique blend of form, balance, rhythm, color and style that brought to life the clear, primitive beauty of each piece. He commented, "The freedom to imagine and dream the life of a cowboy and outdoorsman is exciting, but to have lived and experienced the life is exhilarating. The sculptor must be on guard that the eye does not deceive as it is the touch that brings life to his creations."
Bob's sculptures have been displayed in galleries in Indiana, Montana, West Virginia, Connecticut, Idaho and Colorado, and he has received numerous awards since 1982.
Bob is survived by his wife, Mary; and three sons, Lee and wife Barbara of Ashland, Mass.; Jay and wife Beverly of Bigfork, and Russ and wife Joanie of Kalispell; a sister, Bernice; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial services for Bob will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 27, at the Community United Methodist Church in Bigfork with Pastor Kathy Young officiating.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Bob's family. Visit www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Bob's tribute wall.
Editor's note: Stayton, a local bronze sculpture artist, and his wife Mary ran Buffalo Trails Gallery on Electric Avenue. Read more on page A1.
Robert A. Nice
Robert Andrew Nice, 90, of Polson, died Monday, May 10, at the St. Joseph Assisted Living Community in Polson, with his son, Robert F. by his side.
Born April 13, 1920, in New York City, Bob was the only child of Frank and Irena Mae Barney Nice.
He attended the local city schools and graduated in 1937.
He worked for various companies throughout the city including Western Union, in the parts department of American Airlines, and at Sak's Fifth Avenue, where he met Vivian Grazian. The couple married Sept. 15, 1941.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bob was determined to join the military. After two failed attempts, with the help of a recruiting physician and some prevaricating, he was accepted into the U.S. Army Air Corps and left for duty in January of 1942. In 1943 he flew with the 14th Air Force and Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers during World War II.
He was stationed at numerous bases both stateside and abroad. His military career as a pilot in the Air Corps and U.S. Air Force spanned more than two decades earning many distinctions along the way.
Bob married Nancy K. (Hanson) Nice in 1962 in Tucson, Ariz., and then following his retirement from the Air Force, the family moved to Helena, where he worked for the state and later went on to obtain his real estate agent and broker's licenses.
In the 1970's the family invested in a cherry orchard on the East Shore of Flathead Lake where he and Kay resided until 2000.
Kay died in 2002 of cancer and the couple had shared 40 years of marriage. Bob later moved to the St. Joseph Assisted Living Community in Polson in 2008 after living on his own in Bigfork and Tucson, where he and Kay had made their winter home.
He was an adventurer enjoying sailboats and boating trips in the Pacific Northwest with friends. In 1979, he and a friend had made a roundtrip voyage from Florida to Cuba in his 24-foot boat.
He is survived by two daughters, Barbara (Ed) Fudurich of Dana Point, Calif., and Robin (Tim) Bjella of Silver Bay, Minn.; his son, Robert F. (Darci) Nice of Polson; and six grandchildren, Christopher, Kimberley, Marisa, Kaelyn, Brogan and Ciri.
A memorial service was held Thursday, May 13, at 2 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork.
Military honors followed the services and were be conducted by the Malmstrom AFB Honor Guard.
Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfueralhome.com. Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson assisted with arrangements.