Kyle Lingscheit, 61

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffett

That someone was Kyle Lingscheit. Planting a tree was not on Kyle's mind growing up with his younger sister, Tahnee. Actually, he was more focused on making a buck by renting sports equipment out of his garage to his friends while in elementary school. By eighth grade, he was selling tickets to high school parties. Kyle's entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at a very young age. By the time he was in his early 20s, he was working three jobs a day just to get ahead of the game. And Kyle knew that he could win that game if he worked hard enough.

Kyle was born in Great Falls on April 23, 1963. Kyle shared a birthday with his Grampy — they loved celebrating each other. Kyle had a special bond with Grammy and Grampy, spending a lot of time at their house, fixing cars, playing catch and having big family barbecues. Kyle loved to play pranks with his friends, and ask them for stories — there are some good ones! He was quite athletic too, he ice skated, although he truly just wanted to play hockey! He excelled in baseball, even pitching a no-hitter. Kyle had several jobs growing up, from maintaining the city parks in Great Falls to spreading fertilizer on farms across Eastern Montana. Kyle graduated from CMR in 1981, where he was considered the "Social Director" in high school.

Kyle had a very long and successful career in the insurance industry, starting at the young age of 23 (in 1986) as a Farmers Insurance agent in Great Falls. He followed in the footsteps of his father Bob, his mother June, and his aunt Connie in the insurance industry. He often joked that as his friends were heading out to the bars, he'd be heading into the office to make calls. His hard work and persistence paid off, when in 1989 he was promoted to district manager in Northwestern Montana, and again in 1994 to manage an even larger district in Salt Lake City and Eastern Utah. In 2000, driven by his desire to relocate back to his beloved home state of Montana, Kyle joined Western States Insurance, which later became PayneWest Insurance, and is now Marsh McLennan Agency's Northwest Region. Kyle held several positions over the years, becoming chief executive officer in 2009, serving in that role until 2023, leaving only due to his illness. Throughout his tenure, Kyle played a very active role, leading and growing the agency by serving its many clients, colleagues and communities throughout Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Kyle was all about culture and was instrumental in creating and nurturing a very positive one, often quoting Peter Drucker's famous saying that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He knew that the company's successes were due to colleagues serving clients. He treated everyone with kindness and respect and was always available to anyone who needed his help or guidance.

Kyle was a well-respected leader in and outside the insurance industry and was very generous with his time, serving on many industry and community boards. At the time of his passing, he was a director on First Security Bank's board. He also recently served on the Montana Chamber of Commerce board, the Montana Chamber Foundation board, the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers board, as well as in many other advisory roles.

Kyle loved work and loved being in the insurance industry because he loved helping others. He will be missed by all his friends and colleagues at Marsh McLennan Agency and all those he touched throughout his long career. "Kyle's leadership and guidance have left an indelible mark on all that had the privilege to work with him. I will miss his quick wit and even quicker mind. We called him Rainman because he was always a step ahead in calculating financial results in his head. Those qualities and his kindness and calm demeanor created a sense of peace in even the most stressful work situations. He gave us the confidence and support to accomplish great things as a leadership team. Kyle was one of the great ones and a great Bobcat!!" A quote from his executive team.

Kyle's life forever changed on Friday, July 13, 1990, at the Garden Bar in Bigfork. Kyle saw exactly what he wanted ... and her name was Shelley Mahlum. He pursued the future love of his life with persistence. That persistence paid off in June of the next year when Kyle and Shelley were married. Their son, Luke, was born in 1998 in Park City, Utah. Up to this time, work was for work's sake. Now, work — and life — was for his family's sake. To that end, the Lingscheits moved back to Montana in 2000 to raise Luke around family.

Back in Montana, Kyle enjoyed the outdoor sports of biking and skiing. His workout streak was more than impressive — it was epic. He did not miss a day at the gym for decades. Kyle seriously wore down elliptical machines. His greatest joy might have been boating on Flathead Lake with music blaring and Luke and his cousins surfing behind the boat.

Kyle loved coaching Luke in the various sports he played. It was the beginning of creating the bond between father and son. Baseball. Basketball. Skiing. Although Kyle didn't like to golf, he loved being with Luke, so it was into the cart and off to the links the two of them went. Eagle Bend was a favorite as it was just one minute from home. Simply put, Kyle and Luke were and forever will be, best friends.

In June 2023, Kyle was diagnosed with CNS (brain) lymphoma. He then issued the greatest lesson to his loved ones: positivity, optimism, patience, and perseverance — all in the face of adversity. Over the next 11 months, he was characteristically unfazed while the treatment plans were developed by the various medical teams. With strength and determination, Kyle did everything medically possible to beat cancer. He fought like a warrior, going through numerous rounds of chemo, stem cell transplant and 15 rounds of radiation. Luke, Shelley and Tahnee were Team Kyle, never leaving his side nor missing an opportunity to check in with doctors, making sure Kyle received the best possible outcome. During the many hospital stays, the tender care Luke gave to his dad touched the hearts of doctors, nurses and family. Luke brought the "fun" too. He walked into the room with a smile and a “Hey Pops — you're such a stud.” Together they listened to Kyle's favorite music, watched “SNL” skits, tuned into every sporting event, and read intriguing facts about the ancient Greeks and Romans. Always, Shelley was by Kyle's side, holding his hand and squeezing in next to him for a cuddle.

With Shelley, Luke, and Tahnee by his side, Kyle left us on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at his Scottsdale home. Although physically gone, Kyle’s legacy and his spirit will live on.

How are people remembered? True remembrance comes from the deeds of a person and how they treat not only their family, but all people. So many life lessons we have learned from Kyle — treating people with kindness and respect, balancing work and family, being present in every moment, continually educating yourself, and then, there is the Kyle Giggle … Kyle's sense of humor was sharp, witty and filled the room with laughter.

Kyle will be sorely missed by his wife, Shelley; their son, Luke; his mother June Kernaghan; sister Tahnee Traynham; numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces, cousins, friends and neighbors, along with coworkers and colleagues.

Kyle is preceded in death by his father, Bob Lingscheit; his paternal grandparents, Beryl and Helen Lingscheit and his maternal grandparents, Maurice and Letty Hanson — Grampy and Grammy.

Please join us in celebrating Kyle's life on Thursday, July 18 at Mahlum Thoroughbred Farm located at 10955 US Highway 93 N., Missoula. The celebration will start at 4 pm.

Details are on www.mykeeper.com; search Kyle Lingscheit.

If you'd like to honor Kyle's life, a scholarship has been created in Kyle’s name to help future Montana State University Bobcats with education expenses. Contributions can be made to the Kyle Lingscheit Bobcat Scholarship Fund via this link:  www.msuaf.org/Lingscheit, or mailed to: MSU Alumni Foundation, (memo line: Kyle Lingscheit) 1501 S. 11th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715.