Harold “Herb” Herbig died peacefully Tuesday night, Nov. 19, 2019, at Immanuel Lutheran Senior Living Community, Kalispell, surrounded by his family.

Herb was born June 18, 1931, in Melstone, Montana. He was adopted and raised in St. Ignatius by Burt and Lavonne Herbig. Attending St. Ignatius schools, Herb graduated with honors from St. Ignatius High School. He attended Montana State University, graduating in 1954 with a degree in civil engineering. While attending college he was an active ROTC member.

Herb was an avid outdoorsman, due in part to his growing up hiking, fishing and exploring the Flathead Valley and Mission Mountain Range. Hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, climbing and camping were a few of his passions. The love of the outdoors was passed onto his children, grand- and great-grandchildren.

After college he moved to Los Angeles but shortly returned to Montana to work for the Anaconda Company in Columbia Falls. He joined the Air Force in 1954 and attended officer training school at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Herb was assigned to Ladd Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he was part of 11th Air Division designing and installing the DEW Line and numerous “White Alices” throughout northern Alaska in support of U.S. Cold War efforts. While stationed in Fairbanks, Herb met a young woman from Idaho, Virginia Sulzle. Marrying in 1956, Herb and Virginia enjoyed a full and happy marriage having celebrated 63 years in September. Herb and Virginia moved from Fairbanks back to Montana working and living in Columbia Falls, Billings, Great Falls, Missoula and then Butte. In Butte, Herb worked as a civil engineer for the Anaconda Company. His four children attended Butte schools and graduated from both Butte High School and Butte Central High School. He continued to work as a civil engineer until his retirement in 1999 from the City of Spokane.

Retirement years were spent traveling around the U.S.A. in their motorhome and enjoying their lake house on Flathead Lake with their family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Burt and Lavonne Herbig and his granddaughter, Kelly Rose Cortesi.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia, and his four children, Debora Walker, Douglas Herbig, Mary Cortesi and Gretchen Herbig Glasgow (Rick). He is also survived by his adored grandchildren, Matthew Walker (Brooke Booher), Kathleen Walker, Hannah Herbig, Heather Herbig Straus (Derek Strauss), Haley Herbig and Kyle Cortesi; and great-grandchildren, Dean and Mark Strauss, Chelsea, David and Emma Boden, and many nieces and nephews.

Services were held in Kalispell on Nov. 23. A celebration of life will be held in June at the family home on Flathead Lake.

Memorials are suggested to Touch a Child Foundation https://www.touchachild.org/