Dolores Janet Bunyea, 84

My mother, Dolores Janet Bunyea, was born in Seattle on Jan. 7, 1933, at Harborview Hospital, to Banjo and Maxine (Newsome) Pilon.

She passed away on June 7, 2017, at the HealthCenter Northwest in Kalispell.

Dolores spent much of her early childhood in and around Seattle before moving to Kalispell with her family. She went to Flathead County High School where she graduated with the Class of 1950.

After high school she moved to Great Falls with her sister Donna where she worked at Skaggs Drug. While living in Great Falls she met and married my father Edward Lee McFadin III, who was serving in the Air Force. After being discharged, the newlyweds moved to Garland, Texas, where my brother Michael and I were born. Later she returned to Kalispell with my brother and I where she met and Married Ernest LeRoy Bunyea. Dolores and LeRoy were married for 35 years until his passing in July of 1998.

During those 35 years, I am happy to say, she led the life she wanted.

Dolores had a great sense of humor, was smart and vivacious and didn’t hesitate to give her opinion. She loved to read and crochet, but also enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. She also kept a garden for many years and never tired of watching things grow and sharing the bounty with friends and family.

Later in life she developed a passion for helping others and volunteered at a number of different places including East Evergreen Elementary School, the county Justice Center and at the Chamber of Commerce.

In 1993 my mother and LeRoy were bitten by the travel bug when she won a trip to the Grand Cayman Islands. During the next 24 years she traveled regularly to places such as Ireland, Italy and Mexico with her family and friends.

Other interests were attending the monthly breakfasts with her graduating class, exercising at The Summit and attending Mass at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church.

Dolores was preceded in death by her son Michael Joseph McFadin, her husband Ernest LeRoy Bunyea, her father Evangelise Pilon, her sister Donna Theresa Struck, and her brother Arnold Pilon.

She is survived by her son Reed McFadin.

A memorial Mass will be held at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church with a burial to follow at Glacier Memorial Gardens.