Hamilton – Gilmer Reich was called home at the age of 86.  He was born May 6, 1934 to Jacob and Lydia Reich in Bismarck, ND.

            Around age 2, he and his family moved to the Bitterroot Valley where his dad found work.  He joined the Army as a young man.  Following his military service, he moved to Anaconda to work at the Anaconda Smelter. 

            Gilmer met Delores Barclay, whom he was married to for 56 years until her death in 2012.  They had 3 children. Gilmer and his family moved back to the Bitterroot Valley in 1960 where he found work at the Rocky Mountain Lab.  He retired from the lab after 30 years.  During that time he served 20 years on the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department.  He finally retired after working 15 years at Bitterroot Restoration.  He was a lifetime member of Grace Lutheran Church.   

He was preceded in death by his wife Delores; his son, Gilmer “Punky” Reich; parents; brothers, Ruben and Melton Reich; sisters, Florence Guse, Ella Anderson, Frieda Tietz and Esther Zerbst.

He is survived by his daughter, Terri Woodbridge (Mike Roth); son, Darrel Reich (Carla); 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren that affectionally called him papa; and a sister Rosemary Hayden.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 30, 2020 at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Oct 1, 2020 at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton with Pastor Vern Sandersfeld officiating.  Interment with military honors will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton.