Mark Thomas Gilroy passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 13, 2014, while at home in Polson.

Family was very important to Mark and he is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy Gilroy; two daughters, Shawna Gilroy of Polson and Sarah Gilroy of Denver; a sister, Samara Gilroy-Hicks, of Vancouver, Wash.; two grandchildren, Carson and Amanda Stewart; and a foster son, Mike (Micton) Ogden, of Williston, N.D. He is also survived by his uncle, Greg, and Shirley Wallander, their two children, Susan Hove and Jeff Wallander; and Kathy’s father, siblings, and their families.

Mark was born in Williston on Oct. 9, 1944, to Frank and Wilma Gilroy. He attended Franklin Grade School and graduated from Missoula County High School in 1962. He majored in business at the University of Montana, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

If records were kept, he participated in the most intramural football games of any Sigma Chi during the 1960s. Wherever there was a ball bouncing or a sports team playing on campus, Mark was among the participants. Prior to college, he was a standout American Legion shortstop, and after college he played slow pitch softball, playing on the Montana State Championship team and in a National Championship tournament. He was active in sports until parenthood took precedence over the marathon weekend tournaments. Mark was a huge Grizzly football fan, enjoying season tickets to football games for 20 years.

The Gilroys moved to Polson in 1977 when Mark and Kathy became the proprietors of the Tastee Freeze (1977) and Kentucky Fried Chicken (1979) restaurants. He was a long-standing and active member of the Elks Lodge No. 1695. Mark was also an avid golfer and was a loyal member of the Mission Mountain Golf Club in Ronan.

Mark enjoyed many friendships over the years. To this day, among his friends are those from grade school, high school, college, work and the community. Mark often commented how blessed he was to have so many and such great friends. He was often hilariously funny and a great practical joker. His generosity was legendary; there was nothing he would not do to give a hand to a friend or relative in need. Mark oversaw the care of his elderly mother for 10 years before she passed away in 2012.

His most cherished relationships were with his grandson, Carson, an eighth grader in Polson, and his wife Kathy. Carson and his grandpa spent time together almost every day before or after school, talking sports and “doing stuff.”

Kathy and Mark met while working for Mountain Tractor in Missoula in 1968, and demonstrated a rare and captivating love for one another through all of their 43 years of marriage.  

A public memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, at the Elks Lodge in Polson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the North Lake County Public Library.