'Shorty' George Goggins, 79

“Shorty” George Goggins passed away on Monday, April 17, 2017, at the age of 79, with his family present.

Shorty was predeceased by his beloved son Joe Goggins, his sister Mildred Carey, his niece and nephew Jody and David and baby Bobby, as well as his mother and father, George and Bertha Goggins.

Shorty is survived by his loving wife, Jeannie, of 58 years. They were married in Fontana, California, on July 13.

Shorty is remembered with love by his daughters Dana Schneider and her husband Gordon Schneider, and Sherrie Patterson and her husband Mark Patterson.

Shorty was born in Clover, West Virginia, in 1937. After attending school in West Virginia and Georgia he began working at a young age as a paint contractor. He eventually moved to Fontana where he met his wife at the local A&W Drive In and married her after dating for three weeks. He was 20 years old when they married and they soon had three children. Wanting to raise them in a small-town environment, he moved the family to Kalispell, where he worked as a paint and remodel contractor until the death of his son. After losing Joe, he took to the waters of Flathead Lake and became one of the best known fishing guides, “Fishing with Shorty” for 23 years. His trips were always an adventure and to be remembered.

Shorty is best remembered for his practical jokes, great and lengthy stories, and his always present captain’s hat. He would do anything to help anyone and had a huge heart that he didn’t easily show to people.

Shorty enjoyed being in the outdoors and loved to go fishing and hunting. He got great enjoyment from feeding the deer, squirrels and birds around his home and he would watch them for hours.

The family will hold a private celebration of Shorty’s life. He will be cremated and buried with his beloved son resting at Glacier Memorial Gardens. His family would love to hear about his life and the impact he had on others. You can contact Sherrie Patterson at 406-334-7580.

The family would like to thank everyone who showed such loving care and compassion to Shorty throughout his illness. Your efforts made a difference in his life and he knew he was cared for and loved.