William (Bill) Leon Salonen passed away peacefully on August 13, 2024. He was 90 years old. Bill was born in Great Falls, Montana, on July 19, 1934. He attended grade school in Butte, Montana, and in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington. He returned to Butte and graduated from high school in 1952.
Bill attended Montana State College (now Montana State University) in Bozeman from 1952-1956. He continued his athletic career in basketball, receiving numerous awards and recognition. He was named to the Bobcat Hall of Fame in 2003.
Bill was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army upon graduation from college. He spent four years on active duty in Washington DC and 21 years in the Army Reserve, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.
Around the same time as his commission to the Army, Bill met the love of his life, Gaylene Tracer, in the fall of 1956. After a short courtship, they got engaged, and then got married on June 16, 1957. Bill and Gaylene left soon after their wedding for Washington DC. Bill’s first son, Bill, was born a year later in 1958.
In 1960, Bill began teaching and coaching at Glasgow High School. Bill’s other two sons, Brian and Brad, were born in Glasgow. In 1965, Bill accepted a teaching position at West Jr. High School in Great Falls. For the next several years, Bill served as the assistant principal of West, North, and East Jr. High Schools. He was then appointed to be the principal at Paris Gibson Jr. High. In 1983, Bill became the principal of Great Falls High School. He retired from Great Falls Public Schools in 1988.
Bill’s community life centered around Christ United Methodist Church, where he was an active member for 30 years. He served on the church’s Administrative Council as chairperson for over 10 years. He served the Yellowstone Conference as a lay person on the Board of Ordained Ministry and preached at the church on many occasions.
The Salvation Army was fortunate to have Bill on their Advisory Board from 1994-2006. He chaired the Bell Ringing Committee for several years and was a strong supporter of the Army’s work in Great Falls. Bill was also a member of the Great Falls Lions Club from 1970 until just a year before his passing.
Bill is survived by his three sons, Bill (Sue), of Great Falls; Brian (Jo May), of Missoula; and Brad (Kris), of Kalispell. Bill had six wonderful grandchildren: Andrew (Mimi), Firestone, CO; Ryan, Portugal; Kennedy, Boston, MA; Wesley, Flagstaff, AZ; Taylor, Montana City, MT; and Will, Kalispell, MT. He had two great grandchildren, Abel and Adrianna, from Firestone, Colorado.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
