James Bernard Cech of Billings died in his sleep of natural causes on Jan. 26, 2011. He was born in 1927 in Spooner, Washburn Co, WI, the youngest son of Edward Martin and Elizabeth Wettl Cech.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in active service during World War II.
After his discharge from the Army, he and his parents moved to Livingston, where he began working at a branch of Hennessy's Department Store. It was there that he met Theresa "Teri" Polillo, his wife of 57 years. They married in Livingston in 1953, and it was there that their three children, Michael James, Jeffrey Lee and John Edward, were born.
James was transferred by Hennessy's to Helena and then to Butte, taking increasingly responsible administrative positions. He greatly enjoyed his time in Butte, where he and Theresa made many lifelong friends, sang in the choir of St. Ann's church, and where he gained a reputation for fearlessness by walking the weekly Hennessy's deposits to the bank through downtown Butte in a paper bag.
When Butte fell on hard economic times in the late '70s, Hennessy's transferred Jim to Billings to serve as the regional CFO for Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. He retired from Hennessy's in 1993, after a career of 43 years with the company, and enjoyed several trips to Hawaii and Las Vegas with Theresa and Theresa's sister and her husband, Marietta and Louis Ricci.
James loved camping, sailing and boating in a variety of craft, some safer than others. During his time in Helena, a friend suggested that James take his family camping at Seeley Lake. This recommendation began an unbroken tradition of summer camping trips which has lasted over 45 years. Some of James' fondest memories were of boating on the lake and sitting around the campfire with friends and family, making s'mores in the evenings and endless stacks of huckleberry pancakes in the mornings. In recent years, when ill health prevented James from making the trip to Seeley, the next generation of the Cech family and friends would call from the campfire each summer to ensure that he and Theresa remained part of the Seeley crew.
James was preceded in death by his parents; and by his siblings, Robert, Richard and Maxine.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa; his sons, Michael (Meg), Jeffrey (Karen), and John (Victoria); his six grandchildren, Erin Ann, Ryan (Rye), Molly Kaitlin, Eric Gregory, Amanda Elizabeth, and Isaiah Shelburne-Polillo; and James and Theresa's "honorary children," Bill and Carla Quinn.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in active service during World War II.
After his discharge from the Army, he and his parents moved to Livingston, where he began working at a branch of Hennessy's Department Store. It was there that he met Theresa "Teri" Polillo, his wife of 57 years. They married in Livingston in 1953, and it was there that their three children, Michael James, Jeffrey Lee and John Edward, were born.
James was transferred by Hennessy's to Helena and then to Butte, taking increasingly responsible administrative positions. He greatly enjoyed his time in Butte, where he and Theresa made many lifelong friends, sang in the choir of St. Ann's church, and where he gained a reputation for fearlessness by walking the weekly Hennessy's deposits to the bank through downtown Butte in a paper bag.
When Butte fell on hard economic times in the late '70s, Hennessy's transferred Jim to Billings to serve as the regional CFO for Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. He retired from Hennessy's in 1993, after a career of 43 years with the company, and enjoyed several trips to Hawaii and Las Vegas with Theresa and Theresa's sister and her husband, Marietta and Louis Ricci.
James loved camping, sailing and boating in a variety of craft, some safer than others. During his time in Helena, a friend suggested that James take his family camping at Seeley Lake. This recommendation began an unbroken tradition of summer camping trips which has lasted over 45 years. Some of James' fondest memories were of boating on the lake and sitting around the campfire with friends and family, making s'mores in the evenings and endless stacks of huckleberry pancakes in the mornings. In recent years, when ill health prevented James from making the trip to Seeley, the next generation of the Cech family and friends would call from the campfire each summer to ensure that he and Theresa remained part of the Seeley crew.
James was preceded in death by his parents; and by his siblings, Robert, Richard and Maxine.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa; his sons, Michael (Meg), Jeffrey (Karen), and John (Victoria); his six grandchildren, Erin Ann, Ryan (Rye), Molly Kaitlin, Eric Gregory, Amanda Elizabeth, and Isaiah Shelburne-Polillo; and James and Theresa's "honorary children," Bill and Carla Quinn.
James Bernard Cech of Billings died in his sleep of natural causes on Jan. 26, 2011. He was born in 1927 in Spooner, Washburn Co, WI, the youngest son of Edward Martin and Elizabeth Wettl Cech.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in active service during World War II.
After his discharge from the Army, he and his parents moved to Livingston, where he began working at a branch of Hennessy's Department Store. It was there that he met Theresa "Teri" Polillo, his wife of 57 years. They married in Livingston in 1953, and it was there that their three children, Michael James, Jeffrey Lee and John Edward, were born.
James was transferred by Hennessy's to Helena and then to Butte, taking increasingly responsible administrative positions. He greatly enjoyed his time in Butte, where he and Theresa made many lifelong friends, sang in the choir of St. Ann's church, and where he gained a reputation for fearlessness by walking the weekly Hennessy's deposits to the bank through downtown Butte in a paper bag.
When Butte fell on hard economic times in the late '70s, Hennessy's transferred Jim to Billings to serve as the regional CFO for Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. He retired from Hennessy's in 1993, after a career of 43 years with the company, and enjoyed several trips to Hawaii and Las Vegas with Theresa and Theresa's sister and her husband, Marietta and Louis Ricci.
James loved camping, sailing and boating in a variety of craft, some safer than others. During his time in Helena, a friend suggested that James take his family camping at Seeley Lake. This recommendation began an unbroken tradition of summer camping trips which has lasted over 45 years. Some of James' fondest memories were of boating on the lake and sitting around the campfire with friends and family, making s'mores in the evenings and endless stacks of huckleberry pancakes in the mornings. In recent years, when ill health prevented James from making the trip to Seeley, the next generation of the Cech family and friends would call from the campfire each summer to ensure that he and Theresa remained part of the Seeley crew.
James was preceded in death by his parents; and by his siblings, Robert, Richard and Maxine.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa; his sons, Michael (Meg), Jeffrey (Karen), and John (Victoria); his six grandchildren, Erin Ann, Ryan (Rye), Molly Kaitlin, Eric Gregory, Amanda Elizabeth, and Isaiah Shelburne-Polillo; and James and Theresa's "honorary children," Bill and Carla Quinn.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in active service during World War II.
After his discharge from the Army, he and his parents moved to Livingston, where he began working at a branch of Hennessy's Department Store. It was there that he met Theresa "Teri" Polillo, his wife of 57 years. They married in Livingston in 1953, and it was there that their three children, Michael James, Jeffrey Lee and John Edward, were born.
James was transferred by Hennessy's to Helena and then to Butte, taking increasingly responsible administrative positions. He greatly enjoyed his time in Butte, where he and Theresa made many lifelong friends, sang in the choir of St. Ann's church, and where he gained a reputation for fearlessness by walking the weekly Hennessy's deposits to the bank through downtown Butte in a paper bag.
When Butte fell on hard economic times in the late '70s, Hennessy's transferred Jim to Billings to serve as the regional CFO for Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. He retired from Hennessy's in 1993, after a career of 43 years with the company, and enjoyed several trips to Hawaii and Las Vegas with Theresa and Theresa's sister and her husband, Marietta and Louis Ricci.
James loved camping, sailing and boating in a variety of craft, some safer than others. During his time in Helena, a friend suggested that James take his family camping at Seeley Lake. This recommendation began an unbroken tradition of summer camping trips which has lasted over 45 years. Some of James' fondest memories were of boating on the lake and sitting around the campfire with friends and family, making s'mores in the evenings and endless stacks of huckleberry pancakes in the mornings. In recent years, when ill health prevented James from making the trip to Seeley, the next generation of the Cech family and friends would call from the campfire each summer to ensure that he and Theresa remained part of the Seeley crew.
James was preceded in death by his parents; and by his siblings, Robert, Richard and Maxine.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa; his sons, Michael (Meg), Jeffrey (Karen), and John (Victoria); his six grandchildren, Erin Ann, Ryan (Rye), Molly Kaitlin, Eric Gregory, Amanda Elizabeth, and Isaiah Shelburne-Polillo; and James and Theresa's "honorary children," Bill and Carla Quinn.
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