Stephen W. Marquesen, 83

Stephen "Steve" W. Marquesen, 83, passed away on Aug. 22, 2026, with his wife by his side. He had finally found peace after an arduous struggle with the long goodbye called Alzheimer's.

Steve was born on April 28, 1943, in Austin, Minnesota to Corrine and Wayne Marquesen. He spent his very early years in Austin with his maternal grandparents and his mother since his father was serving in the armed forces during World War II. 

The young family eventually moved to Minneapolis, where his dad became involved in the garment industry. That job also led the family to transfer to Clarksdale, Mississippi, when Steve was a sophomore in high school. He remembered those years fondly and was grateful to have had that experience. 

After two years, the family moved back to Minneapolis, where Steve finished high school at Hopkins High. After high school, he enrolled in the University of Minnesota, where he received a business degree. He was hired by General Mills and spent the next 13 years working for them both in Minneapolis and Kansas City. At that point, he felt the need to escape the corporate world and decided to answer the call from the mountains. He moved his young family to Whitefish in 1979 and purchased the Nite Owl restaurant in Columbia Falls. He had no restaurant experience, so he started at the bottom to learn every aspect of the business. He never felt any job was beneath him, and that attitude provided positive modelling for his employees.

In 1983, after being divorced, Steve met Marka Vranish, his wife and best friend of 42 years. Together, they conceived and built the Back Room restaurant. He was never afraid of a challenge and no one worked harder than he did. As a businessman, he also contributed to the community. He served for 30 years on the rural fire board, much of it as chairman. He also served as chamber president during the tumultuous years when the aluminum plant faced closure. He served on the North Valley hospital board and was proud of the service that the hospital brought to the valley. 

Steve also invested a lot of resources in the youth of Columbia Falls and always said that those were his best advertisements. In his spare time, he loved to ski and his proudest moment was attaining the million vertical feet of skiing in one season. In the summer, he turned to the frustrating game of golf, which he loved but offered him no relaxation. In the fall, he could be found cheering on the University of Montana Grizzlies.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Corrine and Wayne Marquesen and his brother John.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Marka; his son Jay and daughter-in-law Jennifer and grandson Johnny of Columbia Falls; as well as his son Nicholas and daughter-in-law Lacey and grandchildren Brynn and Rylan from Missoula. He will also be missed by many nieces and nephews who held a special place in his heart.

A special thanks to Dr. John Kalbfleisch, the staff at Hidden Meadows Memory Care, and Stillwater Hospice for their loving and compassionate care. Also, a special thanks to his niece Niki Jones, who made special trips to help nurse her uncle; his nephew Drew Marquesen, who flew his sons out for a final visit; and Jana Price, who was his loyal, steadfast partner for many years. 

Support throughout this ordeal was lovingly offered by many of Steve and Marka's friends but special kudos to Jim and Sharon Laidlaw for their unwavering devotion.
A final thanks to his son Jay, who stepped into the leadership of the business with all of its headaches and still made time to support his stepmother Marka throughout the journey. 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Alzheimer's Association, Tunnels to Towers, Columbia Falls Food Bank, or a charity of choice. Anyone wishing to pay their respects is invited to a celebration of Steve's life at 3 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the Back Room restaurant. 

To send online condolences, please visit columbiamortuary.com.