Edmond Joseph Violette, 90

Edmond Joseph Violette (Ed) passed away Aug. 12, 2021 at age 90. Ed was born in Deer Lodge on Sept. 25, 1930. He was the youngest of five children. He had three brothers, Sherman, Glenn and Jim, and a sister, Iris.

He married Gloria Johnson in Polson in 1950, starting a 66-year adventure. He spent his youngest years in Deer Lodge and Post Creek, Mont., eventually ending up in Polson, where he attended high school. He was a dedicated athlete who played football, basketball, track and golf. His high school senior picture was accompanied by the notation: “He was rarely found in study hall, but often located in the gym or on the field.”

He went on to participate in football and track at Montana State University, and even with his attention to sports, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He served in the Air Force, where he applied his degree to research on high-frequency radio communications and the new field of computer-to-computer data transfer. After the Air Force, he applied these skills at the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), where he was one of the early employees at the new laboratories in Boulder, Colo.

His early focus and dedication to sports translated to research and published papers. He finished his career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) overseeing the installation of weather stations around the Pacific to study weather and climate change. He often let his wife (Gloria) and children (Susan, Lynee, Dan and Joseph) know that he was off to some exotic location to build a NOAA weather station. It might be Peru, Chile, Easter Island, Samoa, the Marshall Islands or the Aleutians — he was a million-mile frequent flier before that was a thing.

After the children had grown, his wife, Gloria, would often accompany him on these monthslong work trips to the far reaches of the Pacific — occasionally living in tents or the closest village. He would bring back unique gifts for his children – tribal masks, pictures and carved statues. It changed the family’s view of the world, for which they are all appreciative.

He was a lifelong participant in sports — a fast-pitch softball pitcher on a Colorado state champion team — and he helped organize teams to play football, basketball and softball leagues. He started playing tennis in his 30s and went on to win several state championships in the senior divisions.

He was down-to-earth, modest, believed in helping others, and was generous and kind. As one example, he and Gloria helped build tennis courts in low-income communities.

Upon retirement, he built a house on Flathead Lake just outside of Polson, doing most of the construction himself, and he entertained his children and grandchildren with adventures on the lake and in the mountains.

He is survived by daughters Susan and Lynee and his son, Daniel, who are grateful for his example of a life lived in full.

A memorial celebration will be held outdoors at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 at the Masumola Club on Masumola Lane off of Rocky Point Road. In honor of his love for the lake, donations may be made to the Flathead Lake Bio Station in his name at flbs.umt.edu/newflbs/donations/individual-donations.

Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.

Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.