Gary Peiffer, 81

Gary Lee Peiffer, 81, died suddenly on Nov. 2, 2025, of a heart attack at his home, doing what he loved, working around his shop. He was born in Tacoma, Washington, on April 8, 1944, to Albert and Loretta Peiffer. 

He was raised in Sandpoint, Idaho. He graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1962, where he met the love of his life, Nancy Marie Walker. They spent the next 63 years together, side by side, raising their family and enjoying their grandchildren and now great-grandchildren in Libby and Somers and the home he built by hand on Forest Hill Road, south of Kalispell.  

Gary was a logger for Royal Logging, later working as their mechanic because he wanted to stay busy during spring break up. He moved on to S&S Logging (John Slack) as their heavy equipment mechanic. After S&S was sold to Rick Hullet with Montana Tractor, Gary and his son Scott worked as mechanics in that shop for years. Next, he worked for Goose Bay. Finally, before "retirement," he started Peiffer’s Repair, where he enjoyed working for customers who became lifelong friends. He absolutely loved his work with Snow Ghost Ranch (Jim Cole) restoring antique tractors. He was a man who never stopped.  

Gary was an active community member. He and his wife were members of The Loggers and Loggerettes. He loved living in the Flathead Valley, especially Somers. He was a Somers School board member and a board member of Eidsvold Lutheran Church and a coach for PeeWee Baseball in Somers. He was a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and was also a volunteer at the Somers Museum.  

Gary very much enjoyed the outdoors. He loved to raft and purchased land on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, where he improved it and made it a destination that all his family and friends loved. He very much appreciated watching his children and grandchildren, even great-grandchildren, play sports; he rarely ever missed a game. He loved Flathead and Glacier sports, and you could find him in the stands in all weather, even when he didn’t know the players anymore. He was the first to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He manicured his property, had a shop that everyone admired, and created a home we all adore. He took up woodworking later in life and loved working with his lathe and making handmade treasures for the Creston Auction and family and friends alike.  

Gary was the proud and loving husband of Nancy for 63 wonderful years. You rarely saw them apart. They loved traveling all the logging roads from Lake Mary Ronan to Libby and Eureka to Polebridge on his four-wheelers and side-by-side. 

His children are Todd Peiffer (Laura), Laurie Peiffer, and Scott Peiffer (Kari). He has six grandsons, Eric Peiffer (Lyndsey) of Kalispell; Gary Peiffer (Jennifer) Golita, California; David Peiffer (Theresa) of Auburn, California; Daniel Peiffer (Allison) of San Jose, California; Brady Peiffer of Seattle and Casey Peiffer of Galveston, Texas. He now has five great-grandchildren, Lyric, Marley, Maddie, Brielle and Buddy Peiffer. His family was his most prized possession. He is also survived by his sister Carley Barta and numerous nieces and nephews.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Lloyd Peiffer of Kalispell and his son Scott Peiffer.  

Funeral services will be held on Nov. 22, at Trinity Lutheran Church at 9 a.m. and will include a cake and sharing afterwards. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Kidsport Complex or Flathead or Glacier Activities, or even the Kalispell Senior Center, where he enjoyed a meal and friendship every now and then.