Len Eldon Patterson

Len Eldon Patterson, 54, of Columbia

Falls, passed away on Friday, Jan. 27 at St. Patrick Hospital in

Missoula of complications following heart surgery.

Len was born Dec. 15, 1957 in Whitefish

to Bob and Betty Patterson. Len grew up in the north valley,

attending schools in Whitefish and graduating from Whitefish High

School in 1976.

Len was very involved in high school

athletics, participating as a varsity member of the football team,

basketball team and the track team. He was also a member of the

high school rodeo team.

On Aug. 7, 1982 he married Cindy K.

Stewart of Bigfork and on Oct. 20, 1989 their son Clayton was

born.

Len was employed with various companies

in the logging industry, and spent 20 years with Plum Creek Lumber

Company from which he retired in 2007. He started Patterson Ranch

Construction in 2007 and worked in the construction industry until

the fall of 2011.

Hunting and fishing were two of his

favorite pastimes, and his hunting trips with his family and

friends in the fall were his favorite. He was an accomplished team

roper, competing on the Northern Rodeo Association circuit.

Being an avid fan of the Columbia Falls

Mat Cats wrestling team and Wildcat basketball team, you could

always find him in the bleachers enthusiastically encouraging the

kids. He enjoyed watching sports.

Len was a competitive sporting clays

shooter, a multi-class state champion, who attended the National

Sporting Clays championship in Texas in October. He was a Level I

shotgun instructor and coached the Pheasants Forever Ringneck Youth

Shooters for 10 years.

Len is survived by his wife, Cindy;

son, Clayton; his mother, Betty Schultz; brothers, Lew and Lee; and

sisters, Lita and Lona and their families.

Services will be held Thursday, Feb. 2,

at 1 p.m. at the Christian Center in Kalispell.

The family requests that in lieu of

flowers, donations be made to Len’s memorial fund at Parkside

Credit Union for the benefit of the Mat Cats wrestling program and

the Pheasants Forever Youth Shooting program.  

Arrangements entrusted to Columbia

Mortuary.

You are invited to go to

www.columbiamortuary.com to offer condolences and view Len’s

tribute wall.