Frank Tebeau, Iii

After starting out in Great Falls, Montana, with some stops in Helena, Montana, Portland, Oregon, Billings, Montana, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Omaha Nebraska, Frank came to live in mountain paradise Evergreen, Colorado. It was here that he loved nature and the wild animal sightings, and the true quiet mountain environment.

Frank came into this world December 9, 1946, the first born son of Frank H. Tebeau, Jr. and Dorothy Hocevar Tebeau. Three years later his brother Joe joined the family. He was raised in Great Falls, Montana, attending schools there and was a member of St. Anne's Cathedral where he as an altar server. He attended Northern Montana College in Havre, Montana.

Coming from a long line of newspaper men, he followed in their footsteps, working at the Great Falls Tribune, but eventually found his true calling and life long career in sales. He sold everything from shoes to cigarettes, with his final career selling power tools, where he met some great people and made some lifelong friends. He worked hard and played hard and had may good memories from those days. He was extremely successful with sales and many folks said he could sell ice cubes to eskimos.

His first marriage was to Joyce Hermann, to this union 1 child was born, Elizabeth (Lisa).

Following that marriage he married Susan Tretter, 2 children were born of this union, Francis Steven and Nicole.

After knowing each other for 5 years and dating for 3 years, Frank married the love of his life, Donna Johnson Gilbert. This was the beginning of a 31 year wonderful journey. Two children came with his commitment to Donna; Bradley and Brittany Gilbert. He loved them and treated them as his own. It's a testament to the kind of person he was that he could accept, support and love them the way he did.

Frank retired in 2006 due to ill health. Having been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder (1 in 100,000) Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. He had a shunt placed in his brain, which was only a treatment, not a cure for this degenerating condition. Frank maintained his sense of humor throughout his battle with dementia, and the malady of symptoms that came with this diagnosis. Oddly enough it was a recently diagnosed condition, Acute Leukemia, which proved to be stronger than this larger than life man.

Frank enjoyed a good game of poker, he won several poker tournaments, leading a dealer to say to him "I don't get you man, you sweat when you have a good hand and sweat when you have a bad hand"

he loved football and hockey. A true Nebraska Husker fan, he just recently became a Broncos fan when Peyton Manning joined the organization.

He loved all animals and children. Each grandchild held a special place in his heart and his gruff exterior and ‘take no prisoners' demeanor melted when around them. They all knew that their Papa loved them and there was no doubt they loved him.

He is predeceased by his grandparents, his father and an uncle.He is survived by his wife Donna of 31 years, his mother Dorothy, his brother Joe and his wife Vangie, his children Lisa, F. Steven, Nicole and her husband Harvey, his bonus children Bradley Gilbert, wife Natalie, Brittany Pfeifer, and 16 grandchildren. He also leaves behind his beloved animals, Max, Andy, Berkley and Miles.