Wilford (Bill) D. Poppie was born in Hamilton, MT on March 11, 1938 in the hospital, which later became the County Administration Building on 4th Street.
He grew up in Hamilton and graduated from high school in 1956, then from Montana State University in 1961 with a BS in civil engineering. Bill worked as a smokejumper during college summers before getting his first job that took him out of state.
He married Paulette Hicks in 1986 and shared many adventures together. They lived in Washington State from 1988-2015, then sold their company and home to spend their retired years back in Hamilton, MT. Like his father, Bill and Paulette were members of the Elks in Hamilton and supported their mission to support the community.
Bill passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by loved ones on November 17, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Paulette Poppie; brother, Rich Poppie; daughter, Hallie (Poppie) Kline; sons, Will Poppie, Mike Hicks, Joe Hicks, and Jim Hicks; 9 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, nephews, cousins, and many more who loved him.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 11:00 am at the Daly-Leach Chapel with a reception following in the funeral home’s community room. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.