Melvyn Douglas Rowling

Melvyn D. Rowling passed away on November 19th, 2023. He was born on February 16, 1940 in Butte, MT to Douglas Rowling and Mildred Luoma Rowling. He often spoke in detail (with a grin on his face) about his youth and misadventures in 1940’s and 1950’s Butte. He loved telling about delivering papers through the red light district and his misdeeds with explosives. Melvyn spent much of his childhood at the family ranch in Roberts, MT. At 18, he joined the Air Force where he learned drafting, illustration and surveying and claimed to see things that he could never tell us about while working in the White Sands missile range. He also served in Hawaii and Nellis Air Force base. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force Melvyn worked for the Anaconda Company as a land surveyor for many years in both Butte and Tucson. After the closure of the Anaconda Company he worked at Alpha Engineers Montana until he started his own company Rowling’s Technical Services. Melvyn was passionate about mining and geology. He spent most of his free time in pursuit of striking it rich with his mining claims. He also served as vice-president and president for the Citizens Technical Environmental Committee for the Upper Clark Fork Drainage in the early 90’s Melvyn had three children with his first wife - Cindy, Alan and Barbara. He then met the love of his life Shirley Cuchine Rowling and together they had his youngest son Douglas. He loved fly-fishing, hunting, riding Honda 90’s, his pet birds and pet pisser dogs. He and his family had many great adventures in his yellow CJ5 Jeep. Most of all, he loved his family and was always happiest when everyone was together and he had someone to tease. His younger brother, children, grand-children, nieces and nephews all have so many stories they could tell including snipe hunting, furnace monsters, firefly hunting, and many others as well as his many silly phrases and jokes. Melvyn was preceded in death by his parents, his oldest son Alan, his sister Darlene, his brothers-in-law Jim, Bud, Dave and Jerry and his sister-in-law Denise. We would like to thank his caregivers for all of their help and support over the last several years from the VA, Encompass and Visiting Angels along with Mel and Shirley’s special friend Anna. Cremation has taken place. A remembrance gathering will be held next year. See you ‘round like a toilet seat. Every once in a while.

Tributes

Melvyn Douglas Rowling

February 16, 1940 - November 19, 2023