Reidar Kelley Ilvedson

Reidar Kelley Ilvedson of Tacoma, Washington went to be with the Lord on December 5, 2023 at the age of 83. Reidar was born on September 28, 1940 in Helena, MT to Oro Martha Kelley and Oscar Reidar Ilvedson. Reidar grew up in Helena, MT hating school and loving learning. He spent his school years devising neighborhood adventures with his sister Joie and neighbor Bobby Roberts, building HAM radios (W7WMT), planning practical jokes, and playing saxophone in the Helena dance band Darrell’s Shooting Stars.

Reidar spent his childhood summers living with his aunt Wilma Borer née Kelley and uncle Lawrence Borer, working on their ranch outside of Forsyth, MT. He often traveled between Helena and Forsyth by train with his father Oscar who worked for Northern Pacific as an express mail and luggage man. It was on the Forsyth cattle ranch that Reidar learned the skills that eventually led to riding as a hazer in the steer roping event before deciding that Montana rodeos were a good way to get old fast.

Reidar toured many universities including Montana State University and the University of Oslo in Norway where he became fluent in Norwegian. In 1968, Reidar graduated from Carroll College in Helena, MT with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology.

Reidar was a man of many professions, most containing the common theme of tricky situations and innovative problem solving. One college job was doing laundry for the nuns at Carroll College where he accidentally turned everything pink after not noticing a red rug left behind in the washers. He worked as a hydrologic technician for the Geological Survey in Montana measuring river flows in Glacier National Park and other wilderness areas throughout Montana. This job consumed many of his nine lives due to exciting encounters with grizzly bears, wolverines, elk and the trials of working alone in mountain weather. During this time, Reidar also served with the Montana Air National Guard as a cook and medic. Although not a pilot with the Guard, Reidar developed a passion for flying and became an airplane and helicopter pilot. After a helicopter he was flying crashed due to engine problems, Reidar decided he should just maintain them himself and moved to Los Angeles to get his helicopter mechanic training. While there, he taught aircraft mechanics at Northrup Institute of Technology. In 1972, he returned to Forsyth, MT to take over the family ranch from his aunt and uncle. He raised cattle until the rising interest rates made raising cattle unsustainable. During the 1980s, Reidar also started and pastored a church in Forsyth.

Reidar was a kind and entertaining big brother such that his sister Joie grew up wanting to marry Reidar. Reidar did the next best thing, marrying Joie’s best friend Donna Mae Massman on Jan 8, 1966. Reidar and Donna were married for 25 years, raising their daughter Corinne and twin boys Leif and Loren on the family farm near Forsyth, Montana, a time filled with fond memories of nature and the glorious Big Sky Country.

After the marriage ended, Reidar moved to the Seattle area to be near his sister’s family, and taught math and sciences at Christian Faith High School. During this time, Reidar was introduced to Eivor Birgitta Donahue née Nars, of Tacoma, Washington. Finding common interests in Reidar’s Norwegian and Eivor’s Swedish heritage, they married on September 27, 1997 and Reidar joined Eivor in raising her seven children. Reidar also helped Eivor run Superlon, the Nars family business manufacturing polyethylene pipe which, like geological survey and ranching, was full of frequent engineering and troubleshooting opportunities.

Reidar had a deep faith in God, in God’s power to heal and make whole, and in God’s love for mankind.

Reidar is survived by his wife Eivor Donahue along with his 3 biological children, 7 step-children, and 8 grandchildren. They include Reidar’s daughter Corinne Ilvedson of Trout Lake, WA and her husband Mike Daly, and their children Anders and Oskar; his sons Leif Ilvedson and Loren Ilvedson of Key West, Florida; his step-daughter Kelly Donahue of Los Angeles, CA and her partner Divya Soni and their daughter Somaya; his step-son Shannon Donahue of Tacoma, WA and his daughter Stella; his step-daughter Caitlin Sugar of Bellevue, WA, her husband Jason Sugar and their daughters Amelia and Lila; his step-daughter Stacy Moore of Tacoma, WA and her husband Jason and their children Ella and Jack; and his step-sons Ryan, Keenan, and Ben, all of Tacoma, WA. He is also survived by his sister Joie Nordstrom, her husband Pete Nordstrom, and his nephew Tor Nordstrom and niece Taryn Lund.