Dominick Gesuale

Dominick Michael Gesuale, 83, of Billings, passed away Feb. 20, 2018 at his home in Billings, MT. He was born May 15, 1934 in Billings, the son of Dominic and Concetta (Cucciardi) Gesuale. Michael's immigrant parents established a “truck farm” growing fruits and vegetables. They were joined by relatives Granos and Cucciardis whose farms formed the tightknit Italian community that Michael grew up in. On June 2, 1956 he was married to Roberta Ness in Billings. Throughout his life, he treasured his extended family and its many special traditions, guarding them and passing them on to his children and grandchildren. Michael was drafted into the US Army and was stationed for two years at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco, CA. He was honorably discharged in June, 1962. Michael was an accomplished high school athlete, lettering in three sports. He pitched on the 1951 and 1952 Billings Central state champion baseball teams. After high school, he was offered contracts by the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Michael attended the University of Wyoming on a football and baseball scholarship. He received a BS Degree in Science at Montana State College. He was a teacher and coach for six years in Hardin, MT. During his tenure as head basketball coach in Hardin, Michael's teams were known for their discipline and competitiveness, winning two conference championships. He went on to be recognized as Montana Coach of the Year in 1963. For over 50 years he worked in life insurance and estate planning and was still working at the time of his death. He served on the board of directors for Yellowstone Boys & Girls Club and was instrumental in developing the endowment for YBGC. With the skills learned in his youth, Michael was a master gardener, tending to tomatoes, peppers, melons and an ever-changing assortment of flowers. No weed dared grow near his garden. Growing up hunting and fishing with his brother Pete, Michael built a special love for all things outdoors. He was an avid hunter and an especially accomplished fly fisherman. His beloved Labradors were a special part of his outdoor experiences. He continued hunting and fishing with family and special friends to within weeks of his death. Michael maintained his love of traditional Italian food throughout his life, sharing favorites such as capocolla, prosciutto, olives and plain old-fashioned tomato sauce with pork. He especially enjoyed the time-consuming process of preparing “inkfish” (calamari) for every Christmas Eve dinner with his sister. Michael is survived by his wife, Roberta; children, Pam Budge of Seattle WA, Catherine (Greg) Caracciolo of Bozeman, Peter (Patty) Gesuale of Billings, Steve (Melinda) Gesuale of Bend, OR; sister Lena Gesuale of Billings; grandchildren, Mikaela, Peter, Andrew, Claire, Malia, Alika, Scout and Matea. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Peter Gesuale and sister Lucy VanDaveer. Michael's family would like to thank Dr. Martin Lucas and the nurses and staff at Frontier Cancer Center and Riverstone Hospice for their patient, loving and professional care. Vigil Service will be 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25 at Dahl Funeral Chapel. Memorial Mass will be 10 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church with private burial at Calvary Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Riverstone Hospice, Yellowstone Boys & Girls Club, or a charity of one's choice. Memories or condolences may be shared at www.dahlfuneralchapel.com