Donald Pavlish

Sunday, August 23, 2015 Donald Charles Pavlish passed away peacefully in the home he built in Shepherd, Montana. First of four sons of Vincent and Olga (Zelinsky) Pavlish, Don was born on February 24th, 1931 in Zenith, North Dakota. Growing up on the family farm north of South Heart, his dad taught him how to care for the land and be strong. His mom showed him how to tend a garden and be kind. At 18, having never seen the ocean, Don joined the Navy in Norfolk, VA. He proudly served on the USS Zellars and the USS Noa as a metalsmith 2nd class during the Korean Conflict. He crossed both the Atlantic and the Pacific, sailed the Mediterranean, and braved the North Sea. While anchored in New York harbor, a shipmate invited him to dinner at his family's home. That's how a Czech farm boy from North Dakota met a Newfie city girl from Brooklyn. Don married Mary Tobin on April 24th, 1954 and teased her about her New York accent for the next 61years of marriage. The G.I. bill helped him learn woodworking at the Eugene Vocational School in Oregon. In the early 1960s, he worked on missile bases across Montana. Today, over 30 buildings in Billings speak to Don's hard work as an industrial carpenter including churches, banks, hospitals, schools, hotels, and refineries. Don retired in 1994 and was later recognized by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America for completing over 50 years of continuous membership. A man of deep faith, Don stayed the course. Morally fibrous. Honorable. He had a clever wit. Ingenious, inventive problem-solver. He had a way with animals, especially horses. Baseball, fishing, welding, westerns, John Wayne movies, and listening to accordion polka music brought him joy. He held strong opinions, which he kept to himself. He forgot little. Mellowed with age and loved his family. Don is survived by his wife Mary, sons Mike and Daniel (Sheila), daughters Donna Pavlish and Diane (Dave) Pauli, grandsons Vincent (Julie) and Joseph (Amy) Pavlish, granddaughters Margaret and Katherine Pauli, brothers Ben (Mary) and Ken, sister-in-laws Hilda (Bill) Pavlish and Bea (John) Tobin, and a clatter of nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bill, his sister-in-laws Betty (Ken) Pavlish and Dell Tobin, brother-in-laws John, Mike and Jim (Dotty) Tobin, and his granddaughter Rita Mary Pavlish. Devoted to the Blessed Mother, Don would like memorials made to Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church of Billings. A vigil will be held at Dahl's Funeral Home at 6 p.m. Sunday, Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Rosary (521 Custer Ave) at 10 a.m. Monday. Internment with military honors will be at Yellowstone Cemetery in Laurel at noon. Arrangements are in the care of the staff at Dahl Funeral Chapel.