Paul L. Daly, 93, was born to Lawrence H. and Florence M. Daly, March 20, 1921, in Missoula.
He died of natural causes on Dec. 28, 2014, while returning home to Columbia Falls from his winter residence in Green Valley, Ariz. The intervening years were lived to the fullest, reflecting Paul’s courage, energy, and wide-ranging interests, his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, and his deep commitment to family and friends.
While growing up, he lived and attended school in Missoula, but summers and any other possible opportunities were spent in the Grasshopper Valley of Beaverhead County, on the Marchesseau family cattle ranch homesteaded by his mother’s parents. There he learned the values of hard work and good land stewardship, and became determined to have his own ranch one day.
Paul graduated from Missoula County High School just as Congress enacted the Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939. He enrolled and received his early flight training from Johnson Flying Service at Hale Field in Missoula while also pursuing a degree in wildlife technology at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University). When the U.S. entered World War II, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and was sent to Norman, Okla., and later Corpus Christi, Texas, for aviation cadet training. Commissioned as an Ensign in 1943, his initial assignment was to Squadron VF-15 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Essex, preparing for combat in the new F6F Hellcat fighters. There he at one time flew wingman for Commander David McCampbell, later the Navy’s top ace in World War II.
Upon qualification as combat ready in February 1944, Paul was assigned to Squadron VF-44 and the carrier U.S.S. Langley, from which he participated in numerous bomber support and strike missions during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, among others, and was subsequently awarded the Air Medal “for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”
Released from active duty in 1946, Paul considered becoming a commercial airline pilot, but chose to return to UM, earning a BA in Business Administration in 1947. He and his best friend started a business supplying records for jukeboxes in restaurants and bars in the Butte area, but in 1948, Paul was recalled to active service for the Korean War. He was sent first to Dallas, Texas, for refresher training, and then on to Pensacola, Fla., as a flight instructor for new aviation cadets. In 1953, he qualified in the UF-1 Albatross and was sent to Argentia, Newfoundland, where scouting and observation flights over the North Atlantic were conducted to detect any potential threat from the Soviet Union.
In 1954, Paul returned to Missoula, where he and his wife Totsye raised their children, and Paul started a used furniture and, later, upholstery business. Continuing his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Paul also branched out into civilian aviation, partnering with other local businessmen to establish Executive Aviation, a fixed-base operation (FBO) at the Missoula airport.
Following his divorce, Paul sold his share in the Missoula FBO and moved to Spokane, Wash., where he established Executive Air at Spokane International Airport, eventually building it into one of the largest FBOs in the Inland Northwest.
When he married Carol King in 1969, they purchased a small ranch near Whitefish, Mont., the first of several that they would own. Selling both Executive Air and the Whitefish ranch several years later, they bought a larger ranch in the Blackfoot Valley, and Paul, using the skills and knowledge gleaned from years of working on his family’s ranches, began to build his own herd. As a small operator, he needed to be both efficient and cost-effective, which led to his installation of the first pivot irrigation system in the area, the use of artificial insemination, and an afternoon feeding schedule which resulted in more calves being born during daylight hours.
In 1981, Paul was officially retired from the U.S. Navy, and two years later he decided to retire completely. Selling the Ovando ranch, he moved to Bigfork, where he planned to play golf and learn to sail. Soon, however, he was approached about an opportunity to invest in a small Kalispell precision machining firm which had just received a large defense-related contract. He couldn’t resist the challenge, which led to another decade of hard work, during which JBM Inc. also became a prime contractor for Boeing and was named E-Systems’1985 Subcontractor of the Year.
Finally, in 1992, real retirement became possible. Spending his winters in Arizona and summers in Montana, Paul was able to enjoy years of golf, fishing, dancing, and the good company of friends (old and new) and relatives.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Bette Overby; and his daughters, Joan and Janette Daly.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Paula Daly; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Conrad Lowe-Anker, and Camilla and Steve Haynes; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Fran Daly; grandchildren, Jake Daly; Max, Sam, and Isaac Lowe-Anker; Haley and Brady Haynes; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a family celebration of Paul’s life will be held later this year in Polaris, Mont. While his ashes will be scattered on the land that he loved, his spirit will never be grounded. As another WWII pilot, John Gillespie Magee Jr., wrote:
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed…and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of − wheeled and soared and swung
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
Montana Standard 1/17/2015
He died of natural causes on Dec. 28, 2014, while returning home to Columbia Falls from his winter residence in Green Valley, Ariz. The intervening years were lived to the fullest, reflecting Paul’s courage, energy, and wide-ranging interests, his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, and his deep commitment to family and friends.
While growing up, he lived and attended school in Missoula, but summers and any other possible opportunities were spent in the Grasshopper Valley of Beaverhead County, on the Marchesseau family cattle ranch homesteaded by his mother’s parents. There he learned the values of hard work and good land stewardship, and became determined to have his own ranch one day.
Paul graduated from Missoula County High School just as Congress enacted the Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939. He enrolled and received his early flight training from Johnson Flying Service at Hale Field in Missoula while also pursuing a degree in wildlife technology at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University). When the U.S. entered World War II, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and was sent to Norman, Okla., and later Corpus Christi, Texas, for aviation cadet training. Commissioned as an Ensign in 1943, his initial assignment was to Squadron VF-15 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Essex, preparing for combat in the new F6F Hellcat fighters. There he at one time flew wingman for Commander David McCampbell, later the Navy’s top ace in World War II.
Upon qualification as combat ready in February 1944, Paul was assigned to Squadron VF-44 and the carrier U.S.S. Langley, from which he participated in numerous bomber support and strike missions during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, among others, and was subsequently awarded the Air Medal “for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”
Released from active duty in 1946, Paul considered becoming a commercial airline pilot, but chose to return to UM, earning a BA in Business Administration in 1947. He and his best friend started a business supplying records for jukeboxes in restaurants and bars in the Butte area, but in 1948, Paul was recalled to active service for the Korean War. He was sent first to Dallas, Texas, for refresher training, and then on to Pensacola, Fla., as a flight instructor for new aviation cadets. In 1953, he qualified in the UF-1 Albatross and was sent to Argentia, Newfoundland, where scouting and observation flights over the North Atlantic were conducted to detect any potential threat from the Soviet Union.
In 1954, Paul returned to Missoula, where he and his wife Totsye raised their children, and Paul started a used furniture and, later, upholstery business. Continuing his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Paul also branched out into civilian aviation, partnering with other local businessmen to establish Executive Aviation, a fixed-base operation (FBO) at the Missoula airport.
Following his divorce, Paul sold his share in the Missoula FBO and moved to Spokane, Wash., where he established Executive Air at Spokane International Airport, eventually building it into one of the largest FBOs in the Inland Northwest.
When he married Carol King in 1969, they purchased a small ranch near Whitefish, Mont., the first of several that they would own. Selling both Executive Air and the Whitefish ranch several years later, they bought a larger ranch in the Blackfoot Valley, and Paul, using the skills and knowledge gleaned from years of working on his family’s ranches, began to build his own herd. As a small operator, he needed to be both efficient and cost-effective, which led to his installation of the first pivot irrigation system in the area, the use of artificial insemination, and an afternoon feeding schedule which resulted in more calves being born during daylight hours.
In 1981, Paul was officially retired from the U.S. Navy, and two years later he decided to retire completely. Selling the Ovando ranch, he moved to Bigfork, where he planned to play golf and learn to sail. Soon, however, he was approached about an opportunity to invest in a small Kalispell precision machining firm which had just received a large defense-related contract. He couldn’t resist the challenge, which led to another decade of hard work, during which JBM Inc. also became a prime contractor for Boeing and was named E-Systems’1985 Subcontractor of the Year.
Finally, in 1992, real retirement became possible. Spending his winters in Arizona and summers in Montana, Paul was able to enjoy years of golf, fishing, dancing, and the good company of friends (old and new) and relatives.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Bette Overby; and his daughters, Joan and Janette Daly.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Paula Daly; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Conrad Lowe-Anker, and Camilla and Steve Haynes; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Fran Daly; grandchildren, Jake Daly; Max, Sam, and Isaac Lowe-Anker; Haley and Brady Haynes; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a family celebration of Paul’s life will be held later this year in Polaris, Mont. While his ashes will be scattered on the land that he loved, his spirit will never be grounded. As another WWII pilot, John Gillespie Magee Jr., wrote:
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed…and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of − wheeled and soared and swung
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
Montana Standard 1/17/2015
Paul L. Daly, 93, was born to Lawrence H. and Florence M. Daly, March 20, 1921, in Missoula.
He died of natural causes on Dec. 28, 2014, while returning home to Columbia Falls from his winter residence in Green Valley, Ariz. The intervening years were lived to the fullest, reflecting Paul’s courage, energy, and wide-ranging interests, his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, and his deep commitment to family and friends.
While growing up, he lived and attended school in Missoula, but summers and any other possible opportunities were spent in the Grasshopper Valley of Beaverhead County, on the Marchesseau family cattle ranch homesteaded by his mother’s parents. There he learned the values of hard work and good land stewardship, and became determined to have his own ranch one day.
Paul graduated from Missoula County High School just as Congress enacted the Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939. He enrolled and received his early flight training from Johnson Flying Service at Hale Field in Missoula while also pursuing a degree in wildlife technology at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University). When the U.S. entered World War II, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and was sent to Norman, Okla., and later Corpus Christi, Texas, for aviation cadet training. Commissioned as an Ensign in 1943, his initial assignment was to Squadron VF-15 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Essex, preparing for combat in the new F6F Hellcat fighters. There he at one time flew wingman for Commander David McCampbell, later the Navy’s top ace in World War II.
Upon qualification as combat ready in February 1944, Paul was assigned to Squadron VF-44 and the carrier U.S.S. Langley, from which he participated in numerous bomber support and strike missions during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, among others, and was subsequently awarded the Air Medal “for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”
Released from active duty in 1946, Paul considered becoming a commercial airline pilot, but chose to return to UM, earning a BA in Business Administration in 1947. He and his best friend started a business supplying records for jukeboxes in restaurants and bars in the Butte area, but in 1948, Paul was recalled to active service for the Korean War. He was sent first to Dallas, Texas, for refresher training, and then on to Pensacola, Fla., as a flight instructor for new aviation cadets. In 1953, he qualified in the UF-1 Albatross and was sent to Argentia, Newfoundland, where scouting and observation flights over the North Atlantic were conducted to detect any potential threat from the Soviet Union.
In 1954, Paul returned to Missoula, where he and his wife Totsye raised their children, and Paul started a used furniture and, later, upholstery business. Continuing his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Paul also branched out into civilian aviation, partnering with other local businessmen to establish Executive Aviation, a fixed-base operation (FBO) at the Missoula airport.
Following his divorce, Paul sold his share in the Missoula FBO and moved to Spokane, Wash., where he established Executive Air at Spokane International Airport, eventually building it into one of the largest FBOs in the Inland Northwest.
When he married Carol King in 1969, they purchased a small ranch near Whitefish, Mont., the first of several that they would own. Selling both Executive Air and the Whitefish ranch several years later, they bought a larger ranch in the Blackfoot Valley, and Paul, using the skills and knowledge gleaned from years of working on his family’s ranches, began to build his own herd. As a small operator, he needed to be both efficient and cost-effective, which led to his installation of the first pivot irrigation system in the area, the use of artificial insemination, and an afternoon feeding schedule which resulted in more calves being born during daylight hours.
In 1981, Paul was officially retired from the U.S. Navy, and two years later he decided to retire completely. Selling the Ovando ranch, he moved to Bigfork, where he planned to play golf and learn to sail. Soon, however, he was approached about an opportunity to invest in a small Kalispell precision machining firm which had just received a large defense-related contract. He couldn’t resist the challenge, which led to another decade of hard work, during which JBM Inc. also became a prime contractor for Boeing and was named E-Systems’1985 Subcontractor of the Year.
Finally, in 1992, real retirement became possible. Spending his winters in Arizona and summers in Montana, Paul was able to enjoy years of golf, fishing, dancing, and the good company of friends (old and new) and relatives.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Bette Overby; and his daughters, Joan and Janette Daly.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Paula Daly; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Conrad Lowe-Anker, and Camilla and Steve Haynes; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Fran Daly; grandchildren, Jake Daly; Max, Sam, and Isaac Lowe-Anker; Haley and Brady Haynes; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a family celebration of Paul’s life will be held later this year in Polaris, Mont. While his ashes will be scattered on the land that he loved, his spirit will never be grounded. As another WWII pilot, John Gillespie Magee Jr., wrote:
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed…and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of − wheeled and soared and swung
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
Montana Standard 1/17/2015
He died of natural causes on Dec. 28, 2014, while returning home to Columbia Falls from his winter residence in Green Valley, Ariz. The intervening years were lived to the fullest, reflecting Paul’s courage, energy, and wide-ranging interests, his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, and his deep commitment to family and friends.
While growing up, he lived and attended school in Missoula, but summers and any other possible opportunities were spent in the Grasshopper Valley of Beaverhead County, on the Marchesseau family cattle ranch homesteaded by his mother’s parents. There he learned the values of hard work and good land stewardship, and became determined to have his own ranch one day.
Paul graduated from Missoula County High School just as Congress enacted the Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939. He enrolled and received his early flight training from Johnson Flying Service at Hale Field in Missoula while also pursuing a degree in wildlife technology at the University of Montana (then called Montana State University). When the U.S. entered World War II, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and was sent to Norman, Okla., and later Corpus Christi, Texas, for aviation cadet training. Commissioned as an Ensign in 1943, his initial assignment was to Squadron VF-15 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Essex, preparing for combat in the new F6F Hellcat fighters. There he at one time flew wingman for Commander David McCampbell, later the Navy’s top ace in World War II.
Upon qualification as combat ready in February 1944, Paul was assigned to Squadron VF-44 and the carrier U.S.S. Langley, from which he participated in numerous bomber support and strike missions during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, among others, and was subsequently awarded the Air Medal “for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”
Released from active duty in 1946, Paul considered becoming a commercial airline pilot, but chose to return to UM, earning a BA in Business Administration in 1947. He and his best friend started a business supplying records for jukeboxes in restaurants and bars in the Butte area, but in 1948, Paul was recalled to active service for the Korean War. He was sent first to Dallas, Texas, for refresher training, and then on to Pensacola, Fla., as a flight instructor for new aviation cadets. In 1953, he qualified in the UF-1 Albatross and was sent to Argentia, Newfoundland, where scouting and observation flights over the North Atlantic were conducted to detect any potential threat from the Soviet Union.
In 1954, Paul returned to Missoula, where he and his wife Totsye raised their children, and Paul started a used furniture and, later, upholstery business. Continuing his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Paul also branched out into civilian aviation, partnering with other local businessmen to establish Executive Aviation, a fixed-base operation (FBO) at the Missoula airport.
Following his divorce, Paul sold his share in the Missoula FBO and moved to Spokane, Wash., where he established Executive Air at Spokane International Airport, eventually building it into one of the largest FBOs in the Inland Northwest.
When he married Carol King in 1969, they purchased a small ranch near Whitefish, Mont., the first of several that they would own. Selling both Executive Air and the Whitefish ranch several years later, they bought a larger ranch in the Blackfoot Valley, and Paul, using the skills and knowledge gleaned from years of working on his family’s ranches, began to build his own herd. As a small operator, he needed to be both efficient and cost-effective, which led to his installation of the first pivot irrigation system in the area, the use of artificial insemination, and an afternoon feeding schedule which resulted in more calves being born during daylight hours.
In 1981, Paul was officially retired from the U.S. Navy, and two years later he decided to retire completely. Selling the Ovando ranch, he moved to Bigfork, where he planned to play golf and learn to sail. Soon, however, he was approached about an opportunity to invest in a small Kalispell precision machining firm which had just received a large defense-related contract. He couldn’t resist the challenge, which led to another decade of hard work, during which JBM Inc. also became a prime contractor for Boeing and was named E-Systems’1985 Subcontractor of the Year.
Finally, in 1992, real retirement became possible. Spending his winters in Arizona and summers in Montana, Paul was able to enjoy years of golf, fishing, dancing, and the good company of friends (old and new) and relatives.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Bette Overby; and his daughters, Joan and Janette Daly.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Paula Daly; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Conrad Lowe-Anker, and Camilla and Steve Haynes; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Fran Daly; grandchildren, Jake Daly; Max, Sam, and Isaac Lowe-Anker; Haley and Brady Haynes; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a family celebration of Paul’s life will be held later this year in Polaris, Mont. While his ashes will be scattered on the land that he loved, his spirit will never be grounded. As another WWII pilot, John Gillespie Magee Jr., wrote:
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed…and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of − wheeled and soared and swung
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
Montana Standard 1/17/2015
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