RONAN — On May 23, a maroon sea of more than 200 Montana Grizzlies fans gathered in the Ronan Community Center and lifted their shots of ten high bourbon in the air to toast to the life of the amazing man that was Montana Bockman.

At the age of 72, the former Griz football player, master fisherman and champion cribbage competitor known by all as “Tana” passed away on the morning of May 16. Bockman was remembered by many at the potluck celebration of his life as a great father, grandfather, husband, teacher, mentor, coach, competitor, outdoorsman and friend who always touched the lives of those around him.

“Montana fought through everything because of his name, but I can tell you he would have fought just the same if his name was Sue,” long-time friend Dave Starkel said. “When he was around you he could make you laugh and make you cry.”

Starkel explained that fishing with Tana was always quite the experience, adding that the man started up the first Mack and Tack Days on Flathead Lake 20 years before other groups got the idea.

“He had [fishing] tournament hats that read ‘champion,’ because everybody was always a champion in his eyes,” Starkel said.

Born in Missoula, Tana graduated from Missoula County High School in 1955 and went on to play guard for the Grizzlies football team. Former high school players coached by Bockman recalled that Tana was never the biggest guy on the field, but easily the toughest.

After his college career, the die-hard Griz fan never missed a game until last fall. Tana taught and coached in Hot Springs, Eureka, Chinook and St. Ignatius. Other former players took the podium to express admiration for their coach, saying things like, “What’s so great about him is he always made you feel special and good about yourself. We knew that he loved us, and we knew that he knew we loved him in return.”

He was a man described as “tougher than nails” with a “no rules” philosophy toward capturing the fun in life, Tana knew no limits to his reach of love and influence on other’s lives.

His toughness also preceded him in his reputation as a boxer. Starkel recalled a story of Tana one night roaming the streets of Missoula where he was stopped by another guy who claimed to be the “toughest man in Montana.” Tana then congratulated the man and attempted to avoid a fight, which proved futile.

Starkel said the man swung at Tana, who dodged and launched a connecting right hook, knocking the man in the dirt.

“He slowly got up, dusted himself off and said, ‘Have the pleasure of shaking the hand of the second toughest man in Montana,”’ Starkel said.

The legendary man also owned two businesses in Ronan, the Training Room Bar and the White Elephant Second Hand Store.

“Twelve ounces wasn’t that much to pick up, but if you were going to try and keep up with Tana you better be training,” Starkel joked in reference to the bar owned by Bockman.

Another old friend, Brad Flaherty, took the microphone stand to remind those in attendance that Tana was also a very, very religious man as he always said, “it’s the honest to God truth!”

Tana’s wife of 51 years Carlene took the podium to a round of applause and standing ovation by the packed room only rivaled by the roar of the crowd at Missoula’s Washington-Grizzly Stadium on game day. Carlene thanked everyone for attending, assuring his friends that Tana was fine now and watching over them all.

Childhood friend Roger Johnson recalled growing up with Tana and trying to talk his friend out of dating a freshman in high school for fear of “robbing the cradle.”

“Of course we all know who that girl turned out to be and how the best thing in his life was Carlene,” Johnson said.

The old friend told of how 10 days prior, he was in Charlo watching a granddaughter run track and he and his wife decided to visit the Bockmans, having been warned that Tana was not well and had his good days and bad days. When Roger and his wife entered the room Tana recognized his friend and said, “Johnson do you remember me?” adding “Rhea you never gave me that kiss” to Johnson’s wife.

Carlene said that visit from an old friend was one of her husband’s last best days.

“The moral to that story, which I would encourage everyone here to consider, is that we shouldn’t let just over the hill be a barrier for the ones we love,” Johnson added. “He was a dear friend and we all loved him.”

The gathering of friends, food, and fellowship for the man they all knew and love was let out with an appropriately titled and themed song from the band, “Up with Montana” — the Grizzlies fight song.