Francis "Frank" James Lyons

Francis J. Lyons, known as Frank, passed away on January 29, 2025, following a brief illness. He was 86. Born on January 14, 1939, in the small mining town of Kellogg, Idaho, Frank entered the world prematurely at just over two pounds, arriving more than two months early. His survival story is nothing short of miraculous—his aunt, Mary, held him in her arms while a doctor drove through a snowstorm to Spokane, Washington, where an incubator awaited him. It’s said that his persistent crying on the journey may have helped him survive.

Frank spent his first six weeks in the incubator before finally returning home to his parents, Reginald (Reg) and Gertrude Lyons, and his older sister, Anne. Despite his fragile beginning, he thrived, and soon after, he developed a love for the outdoors, especially hunting. At the age of 6, Frank was already taking his stick rifle across the street from his home, hiking the "mountain" in search of deer and elk. He would return victorious, carrying a small log as his trophy.

Encouraged by his Aunt Maybelle, a librarian, Frank developed a deep passion for reading, particularly outdoor magazines like Field and Stream and Outdoor Life. He idolized writers like Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith, even meeting them in person as he grew older.

After graduating from Kellogg High School in 1957, Frank attended the University of Idaho, where he pursued Business and Mechanical Engineering. It was at the university that he joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and made lifelong friends who shared his love for hunting and fishing.

Frank's love for big game hunting, especially wild sheep, and his passion for fly fishing and bird hunting were central to his life. He often joined his family, especially his father, uncles, and cousin Don, on annual duck hunting excursions—a tradition that became a major family event.

In addition to his studies, Frank worked as a "hasher" at sorority and fraternity houses to help pay for school, eventually working at the Alpha Phi sorority house, where he met Barbara Kroll, a fellow Idaho native. They married on May 5, 1962, and both graduated from the University of Idaho in 1963.

The newlyweds moved to Bozeman, Montana, where Frank began his career with the U.S. Forest Service as a trainee in Administrative Services. Over the years, the family relocated several times, but Frank chose to stay in region 1, covering Northern Idaho and Montana, even turning down a move to Washington, D.C. when the kids were in school. After a brief venture in sales with Barbara’s father’s Coca-Cola franchise, Frank returned to the Forest Service and settled back in Bozeman, where the family spent the next 22 years. He retired in 1980 after 30 years of service.

A talented singer, Frank, came from a musical family. His father was a tenor, his mother a trained concert pianist, and his sisters sang soprano and alto. Frank himself developed into a strong bass voice, often joining in the family’s holiday renditions of the "Hallelujah" Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. He sang in church choirs and with both the Bozeman and Coeur d'Alene Symphony Choirs.

Throughout his 62 years of marriage to Barbara, Frank was devoted to his family, including his sons, Dave and Rick, and his daughter, Debbie. He cherished the outdoors, enjoying skiing, water skiing, and summers at their cabin at Rose Lake in northern Idaho, where the family spent many summers together. Frank often remarked in his final months, "I have had a wonderful life."

Frank was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Anne. 

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons Dave Lyons (Kody), Rick Lyons (Janet), and daughter Debbie McGuinness (Chris); four granddaughters, Kayla Fox (Chester), Ashley Lyons, Brenna McGuinness, and Shea McGuinness; and several cousins.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Polson, MT, at 2:00 p.m. on March 8th, followed by a reception.