Gary Managhan,76, of Helena, Montana passed away Feb 1, 2025. He was born March 2, 1948 in Kalispell a son of Carl and Marguerite Managhan. He was a graduate of Flathead HS and the University of Montana. On June 19, 1971 he married Val Maricich in Anaconda, Montana. They celebrated 53 years together.
Gary was a detail oriented guy which lead him to a successful business career as CPA for the State of Montana. He enjoyed doing taxes for family and friends. Gary loved technology and often had four computers going on at the same time (with a TV on in the background). Golfing, fishing, boating, going to Brewers and Grizzly games and traveling Montana gave him much pleasure.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, sister Ruthie Daley and in-laws Pete and Agnes Maricich. Within the past year brother Dave and nephew Mitchell Lynch.
Gary is survived by his wife Val, sister Phyllis Lynch of Kalispell, brother Jerry of Salem, Oregon, sister-in-law Lois Managhan of Kalispell, brother-in-law Rock (Cin) Maricich of Butte and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like thank the St. Pete’s Hospital and Hospice staff. A very special thank you to the caring staff and residents at Mt. Ascension Transitional Care who treated Gary with love and respect.
The family respectfully suggest donations in Gary’s name to the Humane Society or Mt. Ascension Transitional Care.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
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Vanessa Tolson says
Val, I am sorry to hear of Gary’s passing, my thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.
Vanessa
Mary Jane Troyer says
Thinking of you at this sad time,Val,knowing how much you will miss Gary.He was your soulmate.And that smile…..he could light up a room! I hope many memories of good times will sustain you until you are together again.
With deepest sympathy, Janie Troyer
Kaitlyn Schlueter says
Very sad to see this… thinking of you Val. Gary was always a joy to be around and I enjoyed getting to know the both of you. Kaitlyn
Sandra H. Smith says
You are in my thoughts and prayers at this sad time of the loss of your Gary. sandy smith
Samuel Barrett Thomas says
I will miss you my partner in chipmunk chasing!! I always enjoyed see you and your wife at the airport and the Chipmunk adventure in the Terminal will be one of my fondest memories. The smile on your face said everything. Will keep you family in prayers and I am sure God will appreciate your expirence at numbers and in Chipmunk hazing abilities. Glad you are in a better place!!
Kerry Heffelfinger says
Growing up with Gary was one of those small, dependable joys you don’t quite recognize as golden until the years pile up and you remember who mattered to you the most. I remember going to his house with my parents—Sandy and Howard—my great brother, Ryan, and me. Gary was always prepared to entertain. He had “The Last Starfighter” queued up, M&M’s and pizza ready to go, and video games on his computer—probably something like “Oregon Trail”.
Saturdays were always the ritual. Gary and Val, my parents, and, if we were lucky, us kids, heading out for lunch. There were the long talks, the laughter—old students dissected like characters in a novel my mother and Val could have written together. “But the smartest kid was always Colin Meloy,” my mom would say over and over again, looking at me. I loved to hear that—ha ha!
“Really? More than Charlie Bahls? More than John Mues?” I said. “Chris Nicholson? Me? How about me? Your son?”
I could see Gary laughing out of the corner of my eye. He was just that kind of guy. And he got it.
And always, somewhere in the mix—usually after politics—Gary and I would land on technology. He had this way of making me laugh about how cell phone rays should be kept at arm’s length. And certainly not in our pockets. “RF meters like the Trifield TF2 or the Cornet ED88T can see them – I got one,” he said. “The rays literally shoot out of the cell phones.”
“Geez.”
“So yeah,” he said. “Just put it on speakerphone. I wouldn’t hold it up to your head.”
I looked at my cell phone like it was a laser gun. “Thanks, Gary.”
He was ahead of the curve. And he would always go to my parents’ house to fix their computers—because he could just do that kind of thing—and, of course, it was an excuse for Mom and Val to talk. Meanwhile, we’d nerd out. Again. Probably on terminal services (TS), modems and routers, or the new Microsoft update. I’ll admit this kind of talk often put me to sleep. It definitely did my mom!
But he was a great example to a kid of what a man should be.
He was a rare, gentle soul—the kind you almost take for granted because they seem so naturally decent, so effortlessly kind. He was one of the great ones. And we were lucky—so lucky—to have known him. And I’ll never forget him. Those were some of the great days I had as a kid. Love you Gary and Val. -Kerry