Roy Oscar Swalling, 63
Lake County Leader | UPDATED 8 months, 1 week AGO
Roy Oscar Swalling was born June 2, 1962, to Allen and Dolores Wiebke Swalling, and passed away Saturday, July 19, 2025, from complications from back surgery.
Roy spent his childhood in Charlo and graduated from Charlo High School on May 18, 1980, the day Mount St. Helens blew. He was a standout athlete for Charlo High School in football, basketball and track, setting a state record in the 330 hurdles at the state track meet his senior year. He was selected and played in the 1980 Montana East West Shrine game.
Roy received his forestry degree from Missoula Vo-Tech and worked in Northern California and Dickinson, N.D., for the Forest Service and BLM. He retired and moved back to Montana and went to work for Rocky Mountain Twist and had recently retired from there.
He is survived by his two children, Ryan (Tanya) and Kelsey (Chandler); his mom, Dolores; his sister, Teresa Larson (Lucky); his grandchildren, Aidan, Cayson, Amira and CJ; nephew Brandon Larson (Whitney) and their children, Mason and Lexie; niece Kaylee Cheff (Micky) and their children, Lucky, Tac and Milly; cousins Stuart Howell (Jean), Sheri Gibson (Fred), Bill Howell (Kelly), Wilda Swalling Sobansky (Joe), and Wes Swalling (Barb).
He was preceded in death by his father, Allen; Uncle Ted and Aunt Anita Howell, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Carolyn Swalling, Uncle Winferd Wiebke and Uncle Richard Wiebke; and grandparents Winfield and Geneva Wiebke and Oscar and Verna Swalling.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, Aug. 16, at noon at the Cheff Ranch, 30888 Eagle Pass Trail, Charlo, Mont.