Obituary of William Leon Salonen

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. He was an All-State basketball player for the Butte Bulldogs. He also played football and was selected for the Shrine football team in 1952. Bill was a proud “green jacket” member of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame and attended their banquet on the evening of this 90th birthday. 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. When Bill graduated from MSC in 1956, he was fourth on the all-time scoring list; he currently ranks #8 in made free throws (357) and #7 on games played (120). 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. Three years later he became the assistant principal at West. For the next eleven 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 loved all things Bison! He retired from Great Falls Public Schools in 1988. He was known as strong, but fair, disciplinarian and a great supporter of students and their activities. 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. Bill was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church for the past 3 years before his death. He loved the worship music provided by the Johnson Brothers at the church. 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. He was the club’s president in 1979, and he organized and worked numerous Pancake Breakfasts during his time with the Lions. Bill’s “Hardy Boys” coffee group was a part of his regular, weekday routine. When Bill and his friends moved from Hardee’s to McDonald’s, they renamed themselves the McDuff’s. Dave Warneke and others were Bill’s close friends for many years. 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. Gaylene, Bill’s beautiful and devoted wife of 64 years, passed away in 2021. Bill’s parents, Carl and Fannie Salonen, and his brother, Wesley, also preceded him in death. Bill’s family cherished the last few years of his life. They will always remember the positive, always agreeable, go-with-the-flow persona Bill displayed, along with his great affection and love for his family. A memorial service will be held at the GFHS Davidson Auditorium on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 3:00 pm, followed by a reception in the Old Gym. Guests are invited to wear (Bison) blue or sports apparel of their choice. Memorials can be made in Bill’s name to the GFPS Foundation, Salvation Army, or the Great Falls Lions Club.