LEO JOB obituary

Leo Dale Job, 63, of Great Falls, retired grocery store owner, died Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005, after a courageous battle with cancer.

A vigil service for Leo will be 7 p.m. Sunday at Hillcrest Mausoleum. His funeral liturgy will be held 1 p.m. Monday at St. Ann's Cathedral. Cremation will follow.

Leo Job was born in Billings on June 25, 1941, to George and Margaret Job. He was raised in Hardin and moved in 1949 to the Bitterroot Valley. He was a graduate of Loyola High School in Missoula, class of 1959.

Leo married his high school sweetheart, Vivian L. Loos, on Dec. 31, 1960. Leo was a bakery manager for Buttrey Foods until 1972, when he was promoted to bakery supervisor and moved to Great Falls. For the next 14 years, he traveled for Buttreys, while raising five children, each graduating from Great Falls High School. In 1986, Leo and a fellow Buttrey employee, Gary Leland, moved to Havre and founded the first Gary & Leo's IGA grocery store, a successful business still today. During the last 19 years, the company has grown to include a store in Conrad and another in Florence. In January 2000, Leo decided to retire and returned with Viv to Great Falls.

Leo was a member of various community groups, including the Sons of the Pioneers, Knights of Columbus and Meadowlark Country Club. Leo was often found on a golf course. He also loved camping, snow skiing, boating, and watching his beloved Denver Broncos and Montana Grizzlies play football.

The amount of love Leo gave and received from his family and friends cannot be measured.

Leo was preceded in death by his parents, George and Margaret; brothers, Wendell and Leonard; and sister, Elizabeth Romine.

Survivors include his wife, Vivian L. Job of Great Falls; daughters, Paula (Dirk) Sandefur of Great Falls, Tawna (John "Nick") Egan of Meridian, Idaho, Nicole and (Brian) Roberts of Helena; sons, Darin (Lynn) Job of Butte and Tracy of Havre; 16 grandchildren; sisters, Agatha Canton of Phoenix, Arizona, Mary (Bob) Ken of Hardin, Anna (Al) Kirschenmann of Billings and Dolores (Tony) Gress of Missoula; brothers, John (Larene) Job of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Jake Job of Tuskahoma, Okla., Tony (Ruth) Job of Bullhead City, Ariz., George Job of Laurel, Joseph (Marilyn) Job of Hamilton, Frank (Jenny) Job of Chewelah, Wash., Ben Job of Stevensville and Gene (Josie) Job of Las Vegas, Nev.; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Peace Hospice of Great Falls or St. Ann's restoration project in Great Falls.

Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements.