Steve J. Pick

Steve J. Pick, age 81, of Billings, passed away on Monday, Dec. 30 at the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive, Montana.  A Memorial Service with military honors will be held later this summer at Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana, where Steve enjoyed fishing.  Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home of Glendive has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Steve was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on February 22, 1932, to Joseph and Sybel (Baker) Pick.  As a child he moved with his family to Spokane, Wash.  His first paying job was as a mechanic for the motorcycle police in Spokane.  Steve loved motorcycling and he raced all over the northwest, winning the round track championship trophy in 1951.

Steve enlisted in the United States Army during the Korean War, and served as a rifle marksmanship and sniper instructor at Camp Roberts, Calif., until his honorable discharge on September 2, 1954.

Steve worked with Dr. Albert Starr of the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center to create the world’s first durable artificial mitral valve in 1960.

Steve was a career machinist, opening up his own business in Long Beach, Calif., in 1963, specializing in professional car racing engines for A.J. Foyt and Jerry, Bobby, and Al Unser.  He also produced parts for North American Aviation.  In 1985 Steve joined Waggoner’s Trucking in Billings, Montana, and was in charge of new product development before moving to Polson, Montana, in 1991 and working at Tamsco, designing the casts and molds that this company used to manufacture electronics.  Steve was also involved in creating an indexing machine used to make drill bits for Jore Manufacturing in Ronan, Montana.  Steve designed a collapsible communications aerial used on Army vehicles in the Gulf War.  Steve also holds ten United States  patents.  

Steve married Peggy Howell Aerni in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on August 26, 1994.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Penny Pick.

Survivors include his wife, Peggy of Billings; three daughters, Gina Pick of Los Angeles, Calif., Shawna Rourke of Las Vegas, Nev. and Tina (Tim) Harris of Dallas, Texas; one son, Steve Pick of Redding, Calif.; four step-children, Debbie Byron of Redding, California, Amber (Allen) Hrubes of Glendive, Jason (Leigh) Aerni of Greeley, Colorado, and Judd (Colleen) Aerni of Austin, Texas; one brother Ron (Val) Pick of Spokane, Wash.; thirteen grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren.

Donations may be made in Steve’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at:  www.silvernale-silhafuneralhomehome.com.