Francis J. McCarvel, 72, died Saturday, March 14, 2009, in Helena, Mont., from kidney failure.
He was the son of Joseph H. and Ruth E. McCarvel of Anaconda, Mont. He is survived by his children: Cynthia (Greg) Thornquist and their children, Halstyn, Kienan and McLain, of Helena; Russell (Jacki) McCarvel and their children, Robert and Conor, of Kalispell; Angela (Tom) Boos and their children, Jackson and Lauryn, of Billings; Kevin McCarvel and his children, Bailey, Finian, Maggie and Tadhg, of Kalispell; and his wife, Susan, of Havre, Mont. He was born and raised in Anaconda and graduated from Anaconda Central. He attended Carroll College in Helena, Mont., then transferred to Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo., where he received a Bachelor of Science in industrial relations. He went on to graduate from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1962. He was a member of the Board of Montana, United States District Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He was proud to be an attorney, and represented the profession with integrity. While he practiced law in various Montana locations early in his career, in 1973 he settled in Glasgow, Mont., where he established a practice that lasted for over 25 years. In 2001 he moved to Helena, and finally retired in 2006. He also is survived by his brother Mark of Bay Pointe, Calif., and his five sisters: Judy Harder of Hayes, Va., Susan Sherman of Addison, Texas, Linda Walters (Ken) of Bend, Ore., Kathleen Nims of Portland, Ore. Ruth Quigley (Pete) of Las Vegas, Nev. And numerous nieces and nephews. We will truly miss his wit and charm n which he exhibited to the very end of his life. Always the teacher, he has donated his remains to medical research at Montana State University. Cremation will later take place and ashes placed in the family plot at Mount Olivet in Anaconda. He was preceded in death by his son Robert; his younger brother Bill, and his parents, Joe and Ruth. There will be a funeral mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Helena, on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. Following mass, there will be an Irish celebration of his life at the Eagles Lodge. The family invites you to join them in creating a “sea of shamrocks” by wearing green to the service and/or celebration. The family suggests donations be made to the Robert G. McCarvel Scholarship Fund at Montana State University- Billings, 1500 No. 30th Street, Billings, MT 59101, or the charity of your choice. Retz Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
