David John Plovanic of Great Falls, Montana passed away at home on Friday, January 5, 2024, at the age of 81. David was born on May 8, 1942, in Lewistown, MT to Raymond and Angela Plovanic. He graduated from St. Leo’s Catholic School in 1961 and soon after joined the Montana Army National Guard. He attended basic training in Fort Knox, KY and then returned to Lewistown. He started working for Boeing in Central Montana helping with the installation of missile silos. After David was discharged from the Montana Army National Guard, he moved to Great Falls to attend the College of Great Falls as an English major.
In the spring of 1965, while sitting on the porch of his house, he saw this car drive up on the sidewalk because the driver and passenger were too busy checking him out. Within minutes, he was on the phone with his neighbor, who just happened to be the passenger in the car, Suzanne Ferda, and asked her out on a date. Suzanne and David were married on September 30, 1967. David left college and began working at Metropolitan Life Insurance. In March 1971, David and Suzanne started their family when Michael was born. It was at work that a good friend recommended him for a job with a pharmaceutical company, Warner Lambert, in 1972. David loved his job with Warner Lambert. He traveled the state of Montana and met life-long friends both with his travels around Montana and with the men and women within the company. In February 1975, David and Suzanne’s family continued to grow with the birth of their daughter, Melissa. David retired from Warner Lambert (now known as Pfizer) in 1997 after 25 wonderful years with the company.
David was an avid sports fan, something that he has passed on to his grandchildren. He loved cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tiger Woods, Great Falls High Bison, and the Montana State Bobcats. Prior to David getting ill, he was able to go on a once in a lifetime trip with his daughter, Melissa and grandson, Connor to Frisco, Texas to cheer on the MSU Bobcats in the FCS National Championship Game. Although it was not the end result that they wanted, it will be the memories that will last forever. This last fall, as David’s illness progressed, he wanted so badly to go and watch the Bobcats and Connor play football for the Mighty Bison. We are all so thankful for televised sports events, especially the live streaming of Bison football, because he did not miss a minute of all the action!
David is survived by his wife of 56 years, Suzanne Plovanic; daughter, Melissa (Michael) Hallahan; three grandchildren, Connor, Lucia, and Jaxson Hallahan; son, Michael (Mary Lou) Plovanic; his sisters, Suzie (Ben) Tuss and Katie (Tom) Mahoney; brothers, Michael Plovanic, James Plovanic, and Thomas (Kathleen) Plovanic; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and special friends that David considered his family.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
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