Kris Wade, 77

Kris Alexander Wade, 77, passed away on Nov. 17, 2025, at home in Cape Coral, Florida from natural causes. He was born to Erling and Carrie Wade on Aug. 8, 1948, in Sunnyside, Washington but grew up in Bigfork. Kris always believed he had the best childhood a person could possibly have, spending summer days with his older brother Jeff and their friends down on Bigfork Bay, or family and friends at their cabin on Swan Lake. 

Kris graduated from Bigfork High School in 1966 and immediately enlisted in the US Navy. He left early in August for training in San Diego and after bootcamp, electronics and radio school, he did a stint in Okinawa. He then received orders to Thailand, where he served on the Admiral Staff in communications on a 3P Orion, doing antisubmarine and maritime patrol surveillance over Vietnam. After his honorable discharge in 1969 he worked construction, then went to work for Mountain Bell, tried his hand at Real Estate, and then enrolled at the University of Montana where he earned his BS in Business Management while working for the Missoula Collection Bureau. He then went to work for Greentree Finance as an inventory control manager, until his retirement in 2017.

He married Laurie Froehlich on May 5, 2001, after a four-year trial period. When Kris knew the end was near, his consolation was knowing he would never again have to watch Aaron Rodgers play for his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He is survived by his wife, Laurie, his brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Jessie Wade, mother-in-law, Shirley Froehlich, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Mike and Janice Froehlich, Leslie and Ed Wetherbee, Becky and Dirk Cloninger, and Tracy and Dale Thompson, numerous nieces and nephews, and grandchildren, Trent, Callie, Carter and Abbigale. 

Services will be held in June of 2026 with further information to follow.