Lawrence Restad

Lawrence "Larry" Restad, 96, died peacefully surrounded by the three people he loved most, on June 30, 2015. He was born in 1918 on a farm north of Billings to Ole and Fredrikke Restad. His parents had in effect two families, with three girls born in Minneapolis and nearly out of the house before the family moved to Montana to try their hand at farming. In Montana they produced four boys. He had fond memories of growing up with his brothers "out in the sagebrush" on the family farm. The boys' main mode of transportation to and from school was on horseback. While many kids now days might think it would be exciting to ride to school on a horse, Larry always pointed out that getting bucked off or riding in a blizzard wasn't really all that much fun (spoken from first hand experience). The family moved closer to town when Larry was a teen and he spent many years enjoying life along the Yellowstone River. While in high school he started working part-time at Billings Hardware Company, which would be his place of employment for several decades except for a hiatus due to World War II. Larry always had an interest in flying, so after Pearl Harbor he joined the Army Air Corp. He spent most of 1943 as a gunner on B-24's and B-17's in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. He flew 25 missions, 24 of those he came back safely. Unfortunately, on one mission his plane was severely damaged and had to crash land, Larry earned a Purple Heart during this mission. After his tour in the Aleutians, he went through flight school and became a B-25 pilot. As part of his pilot training, he had to take classes at what is now the University of Montana in Missoula. One day, a friend of Larry's called the Delta Delta Delta sorority and asked if someone there would like a blind date with a nice airman. Irene Caras, the sorority girl who answered, was intrigued and said she'd be interested, and went out with Larry. Apparently the date went well, since they married after the war and were married for almost 68 years until his death. After the war, Larry and Irene settled in Billings and Larry went back to work at Billings Hardware. The couple worked hard through the 1950s, but their world changed when they had their son, Mark. The family had many fun adventures camping, fishing, and exploring the region as Mark was growing up. Their world changed again when Mark married and they gained a daughter-in-law and two grandkids, Rob and Katie. The family expanded further when Mark and his wife, Veronica, had a daughter, Sarah, who would become the apple of Larry's eye. Larry's job through the end of his life was taking Sarah to and from school. Papa, as Sarah called him, ran the best taxi service in town. He loved spending time with his family and close friends. He had many outdoor adventures in his life including three hunting trips to Alaska. He enjoyed good health and remained active until the last few months of his life. He had a great run and will be missed. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Ruth, Marge, Nellie, and bother Felix. He is survived by his wife, Irene, son Mark, daughter-in-law Veronica, grandchildren Rob, Katie, and Sarah, brothers Lee and John, and numerous nieces and nephews. A private memorial service will be held with interment with military honors at Mountview Cemetery. All family and friends are invited to a reception and gathering to celebrate his life at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings on Tuesday, July 7, from 2:00-4:00PM The family would like to thank the care team at Highgate Senior Living for the wonderful care they provided in his final days. If desired, memorials may be made to ZooMontana in Larry's name. Arrangements are in the care of the staff at Dahl Funeral Chapel.