July 2 1948 November 12 2022
Obituary November 12, 2022, Joe apparently tripped on his oxygen hose and fell at his home hitting his head and did not survive the fall. He was wearing an oxygen hose due to a heart blockage that he preferred to not have removed. It did not keep him from fly boarding this year – but not as much as usual. It did not keep him from being active and helping others use it. He found joy in taking people up fly boarding. He worked at his Church’s Camp on the Boulder this summer, worked on the Yellowstone River Cleanup and worked cutting invasive buckthorn from Two Moon Park the first of November. He also hunted deer with two of his brothers and a niece the beginning of hunting season. Each year he delighted some friends by giving them some of his famous Carmel Cinnamon rolls. Joe seemed to be happiest when he was helping others. Besides working at The Camp on The Boulder for a number of years, he was a ski and snowboard instructor at Eagle Mount. He was a mentor for Yellowstone County Veterans Treatment Court or (CAMO) Courts Assisting Military Offenders. He was a Life Member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Rifle Association and the National Smokejumper Association. Joe was born in St. Ignatius, MT July 2, 1948, to Bob and Clara Sterling. He grew up in Ronan, MT, attending school there through 8th grade when he moved to Oregon for one year and then back to Missoula, MT. He was a Special Forces Medic in The Army and Combat Medical Platoon Staff Sergeant 25th Infantry Division- Vietnam. He received Army Accommodation Medals for Meritorious Service and Heroism as well as the Bronze Star, which he never told his family about. After an honorable discharge from the Army he served 20 years in the Army Reserve and Montana National Guard. He graduated from University of Montana in 1975. Summers during college, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service on a lookout south of Butte, Slate Creek Hotshot crew and was a Smokejumper for two summers, training in Missoula in 1973. He worked for Montana Power at the Corette Plant in Billings as Results Engineer in water treatment. He lived in Billings since 1976. He was predeceased by his former wife Linda Zimmerman Coates and his son Dan. He is survived by brothers Rob Sterling –Missoula, Jack (Carol) Sterling – Billings, Neil Sterling- Milwaukee, WI and sisters Mary (Tom) Moe- Idaho Falls, ID and Janet (John) Fine- Helena, MT. as well as numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and greatgreats. A service and celebration of his life will be on April 15 2023 at 11 a.m. at Faith Chapel in Billings. He had noted he desired memorials be directed to Billings YWCA- Gateway House, 909 Wyoming Ave., Billings, MT 59101 or a charity of your choice. Read more
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Murray Joe Sterling July 2 1948 November 12 2022.
Death notice for the town of: Billings, state: Montana