Orval 'Bill' Gastineau Jr.

Orval “Bill” Gastineau Jr. was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, on June 15, 1942, to Orval Gastineau Sr. and Lois Gillam Gastineau.

Bill passed away June 13, 2021, from Alzheimer’s disease. He graduated from Sandpoint High School and attended Idaho State University, where he played basketball. He graduated from the University of Montana with a forestry degree.

His first job was for the state of Idaho on a lookout on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. He started with the Forest Service in fire control and became a smokejumper out of Missoula.

During his Forest Service career, he worked at the Northern Forest Fire Lab, on the Lolo and Bitterroot national forests, and regional offices in Missoula and San Francisco. He transferred to the Washington, D.C. office in 1988, retiring in 1996 and returning to Missoula in 1999.

He married Donna Vallance in 1974. They shared 47 years together with many adventures and laughs with friends and family. He loved river rafting and guiding on numerous rivers in the West. Other favorites were camping, traveling, coaching, playing softball, and gardening. He enjoyed entertaining the family kids with fun games of chance, often losing several dollars. Bill was an avid Griz fan.

Bill is survived by his wife, Donna; sons, JD (Julie), Pat (Jennifer) and Robert; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and a sister, Barbara Moore (Jim). He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Robert; and his stepmother, Millie Watts Gastineau.

The family would like to thank Partners in Home Care Hospice and Edgewood Vista Memory Care for the outstanding care given to Bill.

At Bill’s request, no services are planned.

Memorials may be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Meals on Wheels, 337 Stephens Ave, Missoula, MT 59801.