Brian Sullivan, 71

Brian Francis Sullivan, a longtime resident of Whitefish, passed away in the early morning of March 20, 2018, under the tender care of his wife Gail and supported by hospice, family and friends.

Brian was born in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 31, 1947, the first child of Roger and Elizabeth Sullivan. He was joined in quick succession by sister Maurie, brother Roger Jr., sister Deirdre, and later, brother Terry.

Although Brian spent his first nine years on Long Island in striking distance of LaGuardia and Idlewild Airports (JFK) where his father worked as chief of tower, there was rarely a vacant field, pond or puddle that escaped his attention. When the family relocated to Colorado Springs in 1956, it vastly expanded the range of Brian’s explorations. His bedroom was filled with aquariums and cages holding snakes, amphibians and reptiles brought home from his forays in the foothills and along the creeks of Cheyenne Canyon. Brian wasted little of his keen intelligence on school, which he often found too confining for his interests. Like many of his generation he received a draft notice. He then enlisted in the Air Force where he served four years, for much of which he was stationed in Thailand and the Philippines on crews supplying bases in Vietnam. His lessons from these experiences were reflected in his deep respect for all peoples and his abiding sense of the tragedy of war.

Soon after returning to Colorado, Brian struck gold. He met Gail Underdahl, a student at the local community college. They were married on May 25, 1974, and together became known for their enduring kindness, community service and hospitality, including at numerous backyard barbecues and RV outings that found Brian at the grill.

Brian made his living as a registered land surveyor, and for many years operated F&H Surveying of Whitefish with his partner Bob Hanger. Surveying suited Brian’s skills and interests as it required him to spend a lot of time outside and called on his considerable skill with geometry and math.

Brian discovered his deepest passion and joy paddling on the rivers and lakes of Western Montana. He spent countless “river days” on our classic whitewater streams, usually with kayaking buddies and great friends Mike Fitzgerald, Craig Drynan, and others. Brian always enjoyed sharing his knowledge and in his easy-going and supportive manner instructed scores of novices who went on to become accomplished paddlers. Once the snow hit, Brian was out on cross-country skis. He volunteered as a coach with Glacier Nordic’s youth league programs for more than 30 years. More enduring than what Brian did is how he did it. He was unfailingly kind to all he encountered, including the dogs and cats lucky enough to be rescued by Brian and Gail. He was the best friend that you could hope for — the one who didn’t need to say much, yet you always knew cared deeply — and he was a beloved uncle to Shinnah, Sean, Jason, Chad, Brian, Tara, Conor and Logan.

A celebration of Brian’s life will be held Saturday, June 16, at the Moose Lodge in Whitefish, beginning at 4 p.m. It will be an opportunity to celebrate Brian’s life and share stories about our experiences and memories of him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Brian’s name to Montana Kayak Academy (www.montanakayakacademy.com) to support their free youth programs.