Paul Fuglestad

Paul Emmett Fuglestad of Dillon, Montana, passed away suddenly at his home on January 26, 2023, from a heart attack. He was born in Hardin MT on December 11, 1943, to Emmett “Ole” & Ethel (McCarthy) Fuglestad, then raised in Lewistown, Montana. Paul was an avid member of the Masons and Shriners, and for many years headed up the Shriners Oyster Feed in Dillon, Montana. He was a member of the Elks Lodge, the Eagles, and many other fraternal societies in places where he lived. Paul was a longtime leader of the Boy Scouts of America where both of his sons, Lee & Brian, attained the status of Eagle Scout.

Paul had a doctorate degree in agricultural economics. In Paul’s early years, he was a bank examiner and traveled to many states for work. This is where he discovered the dive bars of every state. Paul liked sharing that information with the other bank examiners.

Paul then lived in Anchorage AK, where he met his male soulmate (Byron Koepke). Paul moved back to Montana in 1993 and was an avid fisherman living on the Beaverhead River with his childhood best bud, Paul W. & “Pdub” Wiedeman. He spent many hours rowing Pdub on the Big Hole River and sometimes on the Beaverhead. Paul was known as Pfug, the other half of Pdub, and to his work friends as “Doc.”

Twenty-one years ago, Paul met the love of his life, Gail Proulx Fuglestad, and they married almost 12 years ago. Paul very much loved his grandchildren, Megan & Ethan, and was so very proud of them and their accomplishments. He also loved his other grandchildren, Acadia,

Collin & Jace. Paul spent a lot of time reading to them, teaching them how to bat a ball, playing catch, or doing anything else they wanted to do. He was a very, very hands on grandpa. Paul started out by taking Acadia to Babies & Books at the Dillon Library and continued the tradition with Collin & Jace. He had a following of young mothers who thought he was wonderful. Paul often stated that he would have loved to also be doing these activities with Megan & Ethan.

Paul had many friends and family in Dillon MT, Fort Collins CO, and Washington, D.C. Paul and Gail enjoyed weekend drives in the country and going to visit museums they found along the way on their travels. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Gail and he often told her friends that. Most of the time, Paul loved Gail’s friends. When he was a young man, Paul taught himself how to cook and was on par with any gourmet cook in the country. Every year, Paul looked forward to his family “the hunters” from Eastern Montana who visited each year for four days. In his early years, he would go scope out where the animals would be. In his later years, Paul would take a nap in the truck along with Ron Torgerson who was about Paul’s age. Paul looked forward to his Eastern Montana, Seattle, Fort Collins, and Washington, D.C. family visits.

Paul’s hobbies included fishing, reading, playing solitaire on the computer, playing cribbage with Patti & John Gillis at the Glen Bar, and having a beer with the gang. He was preceded in death by his mother Ethel, his father Ole, and his two sisters Mary & Jeanne. He is survived by his wife Gail; son Lee (Sue) Fuglestad, Brian Fuglestad; stepdaughters Kasi (Patrick) Glidden, Cara Herman; grandchildren Megan Fuglestad, Ethan Fuglestad, Acadia Lisle, Collin Herman, Jace Herman, Sierra Flammond, Tyler Sexton, and Robbie (Abbie) Furtney; along with numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Paul wished for a sendoff at the Glen Bar to celebrate his life. Please join us on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 3 p.m. for this gathering. In lieu of flowers, Paul would like everyone to donate to the Shriners Hospital for Children.