Donald Tibbits Burtch, 84

Donald Tibbits Burtch, a former resident of Kalispell, passed away of cancer at his home in Haines City, Fla., on Dec. 5, 2006. He was born May 26, 1922, in Rome, N.Y., to Clarence F. and Bessie Tibbits Burtch.

He attended Ithaca College before entering the Naval Air Corps, where he served as an F-6F Hellcat pilot during World War II.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Katherine Virginia Krumbach, in Rome, N.Y., on Nov. 29, 1944. They raised two children near the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York before moving to Florida in 1965, then to Kalispell to be near their son and his family in 1979.

They later spent three years in Nuremberg, Germany, where he sold insurance to members of the military. They returned to Kalispell in 1988 where they resided until Don's retirement and move to Florida in 1999.

Don was a salesman for Syracuse Steel while in New York, an investment banker marketing municipal bonds in Florida, and a salesman for Weissman's and Pacific Hide and Steel in Kalispell.

He was an avid golfer and enjoyed many years playing at Village Greens, Buffalo Hill and many other area courses. He continued to golf and work at Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club after moving to Florida. He was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Haines City.

Don is survived by his wife, Virginia, and daughter, Sue Chaney, at the family home; son, Don Burtch, and wife, Gwen, of Kalispell; four grandchildren, Kristi Burtch of Seattle, Chris Burtch and wife, Beth, of Lakeside, Diana Stowe of Birmingham, Ala., and Patrick Chaney and wife, Melissa, of Lake Wales, Fla.; and two great-grandchildren, Darren and Trenton Chaney, also of Lake Wales.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service with military honors was held Dec. 12 at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.

Contributions in Don's memory may be made to hospice or to cancer research.