Ronnie Ray Lake

Ronnie Ray Lake, 67, of Dillon, Montana, passed away in Missoula, Montana, on April 20, 2026.

Born on December 22, 1958, in Idaho Falls, he was the eldest of six children and a proud big brother from the start.

He was a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and later the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana.

After growing up and attending school in Dillon, he went on to learn the trade of masonry in Utah.

As a child, Ronnie was always intrigued by the rock wall at Gracie's Second Hand Store. He would stop and examine the quartz and colorful native rocks on the walls and pillars. This sparked his lifelong passion for masonry. As a gifted mason, he had a natural eye for stone-often pointing out rocks along the road and saying, "That would make a great planter or a great fireplace."

Over the years, Ronnie took great pride in working on his own home, completing much of the work himself and often bartering his skills with others for brickwork. His gifts were most often his time and his talent. He even built a small home for his granddaughter, Emera-constructed with block and finished in stone-so she would have a place to live while attending school. Ronnie created the rock arches inside Mac's Last Cast for his sister, Shelly, and built a beautiful fireplace and multiple rock planters for his parents.

Ronnie was dedicated to his work, and his craftsmanship can be seen throughout Montana in planters, fireplaces, waterfalls, fountains, decorative stonework on homes and businesses and memorials. When his clients requested specific stone or river rock, Ronnie would make it happen. He would dedicate hours to gathering, cleaning, and carefully placing each piece exactly where it belonged.

Ronnie would be the first to tell you that he struggled with alcohol and spent many days in the "Cabbage Patch" with others. During this time, he listened to the stories of veterans who had served our country. He felt that choosing sobriety in 2001 was one of his greatest accomplishments-and he remained sober for the rest of his life.

In 2003, he believed Dillon should have a memorial to honor military veterans. He sought support for his vision, and, even after being turned down by some, he did not give up. He worked with the Union Pacific Railroad to secure a lease on the property. This vision became the Southwest Montana Veterans Memorial.

In 2007, he was awarded the Dillon Kiwanis "Hats off Award" and in 2008, the Dillon Tribune recognized him as the first Individual Dillonaire of the Year for his work as the Southwest Montana Veterans Memorial developer. Still, he was always quick to recognize that he could not have done it alone and was deeply grateful for the support of his friends, family, and community.

Ronnie was proud of his Native American heritage. He enjoyed attending powwows, searching for arrowheads, tanning hides, making leather bracelets, and crafting beautiful dreamcatchers from sinew and antlers-another reflection of his creativity and connection to his heritage.

Ronnie was a self-taught guitarist. He enjoyed playing at his mom's shows. He would play a song he wrote called, Megan. He also liked to sing, Fire and Rain to his sister, Shelly, and his mother, as he felt the song reflected his hardships and resilience.

Ronnie married Nancy Ann Oliveria LaManna on May 15, 2004. Together, they enjoyed fishing, camping, rock hunting and spending time at home with family. They especially loved visiting Birch Creek and riding four wheelers with friends and family.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his mother, Boots Lake; his wives, Sara Edwards Lake and Carla Marcum Lake; brother, Lonnie; grandparents, Albert and Eva Longie, James and Nancy Lake; aunts, Grace Gwinn, Blanche Benales, and VE-Day Moran; uncles, Louis Red Cloud, Melvin, Benny, and Eugene Longie; brother-in-law, Richard "Dick" Marshall; nephew, Brendan Reints; niece Amy Lake; and cousins, Mike Longie, Ruby Smith Red Cloud, and Gene Roice.

He is survived by wife, Nancy; father, Harvey Lake; siblings, Shelly (Jerry) McDonald, Nolan (Erin) Lake, Valerie (Jim) Linscott, Harvey Jr. (Patti) Lake, all of Dillon, Montana, and Robin (William "Opie") Reints of Ennis, Montana; his children, Megan Yuhas, Jeremy (Ashley) Yuhas, Erik Isaacson, Josh Phillips, Antonio "Tony" LaManna, and Allen Girton; grandchildren, Emera Parker, Chloe, Alex, Ian, and CJ. He is also survived by his aunts, Terry Lowrey, Janet Lake; uncle, Robin (Leslie) Lake; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was always quick to recognize that he could not have done it alone and was deeply grateful for the support of his friends, family and community.

There will be no funeral service at Ronnie's request. A celebration of life will be held at Mac's Last Cast in the Community Room on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be served after honorary speakers. The family would like to thank those who were so helpful during his short illness, especially Jeff McKinlay and Alexis Morrison. A special thank you also goes to Dr. Nelson and the staff at Barrett Hospital, St. Patrick's Hospital and Brundage Funeral Home.

Memorials honoring Ronnie can be sent to Southwestern Montana Veteran's Memorial at 365 N. Parkview, Dillon, MT 59725.

"I've seen fire and I've seen rain... I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end."- Fire and Rain