Harold Edward Catron passed away on July 17th, 2025, in Great Falls, MT, at the age of 87. He was born on September 23rd, 1937, in Somerset, Kentucky, to John Emery Catron and Elsie Marie Barnett.
Harold graduated from Memorial High in Waynesburg and went on to attend multiple colleges, including Washington State University, Abilene Christian College, Maryland State University, and the Community College of the Air Force.
After college, Harold served in the U.S. Army from September 1954 to September 1957, and in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 until April 1980. He held the rank of Specialist 2nd Class (E-5) in the Army and Master Sergeant (E-7) in the Air Force.
In 2000, Harold met Viola (Joanne) Nicholls, the love of his life, as he was to her. They married on July 16th, 2003, and spent many wonderful years traveling across the country, including visits to Washington D.C., Atlantic City, Kentucky, and numerous other states. They enjoyed week-long summer vacations to Lincoln City, Oregon, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Together, they attended many concerts and explored numerous historical and presidential museum sites throughout their travels.
Harold and Joanne shared a love for golfing, road trips, and playing computer Scrabble. They made the most of their retirement together. Harold had a deep love for movies; they watched countless films side by side. He was also deeply rooted in his faith. He was a kind and generous man, remembered for his warmth and devotion.
Upon retiring from the Air Force, Harold began a second career working for several aircraft companies, including General Dynamics Aircraft Company in Abilene, Texas; Macke Aircraft Company in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Lockheed Aircraft International in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was licensed by the FAA as a professional Flight Engineer, qualified on the L-382, L-100, C-130, C-133, 707, and 747 aircraft. Over the course of his career, he logged more than 10,000 flight hours and held his ICO Flight Engineer’s License.
Harold worked for Montana Historical Society for 12 months before accepting the offer with Lockheed. After completing that contract, Harold returned to Great Falls, Montana, where he worked for Leisure Care Inc as a Retirement Counselor for eight years. During that time, he helped develop Cambridge Place and Rainbow Retirement Communities. His final position was as manager of Highwoods Mobile Home Park, where he worked for four years before retiring to enjoy a peaceful life with his beloved “babycakes,” Viola.
Harold is survived by his wife, Joanne. He was preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Great Falls Rescue Mission.
There will be a Graveside Service on Friday, July 25th, 2025, at 10 AM at the Manchester Cemetery.
Author: Staff
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