Leslie H George

Leslie Howard George, born Jan. 17, 1949, West Grove, PA. Died Nov. 12, 2022, Sheridan, MT, age 73.

That was all he thought was necessary for his obituary. But we think there is a lot more to say about the life in between those two dates.

Les was the only child of Leslie Marshall and Charlotte George. He grew up in Pennsylvania and Maryland and spoke fondly of the summers he spent at the beach. He attended Elkton High School, in Elkton, MD and Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, VA. But it was a family vacation he and his parents took to Yellowstone Park in 1959 that would change the course of his life. It was on that trip that Les first fell in love with Montana, and where his interest in geology was first sparked when he collected his first mineral specimen. After he graduated, he fulfilled his dream of returning to Montana when he moved to Butte to attend the Montana School of Mines in 1968.

In 1969, Les married Cynthia Koski, and they had two sons, Jesse and Jason. 

He spent time working in the mines in Butte, and then began working for the Montana Power Co. as a lineman. The family moved to Sheridan in 1976. 

Les later married Marilyn Silve in 1985 and became stepfather to Reece and Raymond. 

Les shared his love for the outdoors with his sons, teaching them to fish and hunt, while spending their summers camping and traveling. Les was also a lifelong rockhound, collecting mineral specimens and fossils from all over the world. He loved to share his passion for rocks with his grandchildren, and family camping trips always included hunting for specimens and identifying every rock the kids brought to him.

Les retired from MPC after 32 years. He and Marilyn spent their retirement doing what they loved- traveling. They explored the western U.S., camping, fishing and collecting minerals everywhere they went and spent the winter months in Wayside, AZ.

Les was preceded in death by his parents, his stepson, Raymond Silve, and his wife Marilyn. 

He is survived by his sons and their families: Jesse and Danette George of Sheridan, Jason and Amy George of Twin Bridges, Reece and Rachel Silve, of Bozeman, and grandchildren Andrew George of Helena, Jessica George of Spokane, WA, Audrey (Kaleb) Rosselott of Clarksville, TN, Avery George of Kalispell, and Finn and Paxson Silve of Bozeman.

A gathering to celebrate his life will be held next summer.