Curt Risa

With a heavy heart the family of Curtis R. Risa notes his passing on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Billings, Mont.

Curt was the third son of Pearl and Martin Risa born in 1942 in Kent, Wash., where Martin was working in the shipyards during World War II. After the war the family moved back to Opheim, Mont., and Curt became the brother to five more siblings.

Curt graduated from Opheim High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1966. Curt served as a "Brown Water Sailor" in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and after his tour ended, he made his home in Billings where he met and married his wife, Donna Salaz in 1971 and adopted her two children, Tom and Pam.

Curt was an accomplished auto mechanic and could work on just about anything. He worked for Yellowstone County as a mechanic for the Sheriff's Department where he made many friends, who he still visited with before his passing. After retiring he was bored with doing "nothing" and went to work as a security guard at the local refinery, before retiring for good. He and Donna enjoyed traveling and taking their dogs with them on their many trips out of state to visit family and friends. Curt was known for having a good heart and was always willing to help others.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna; his parents, Martin and Pearl Risa; his brother Douglas; his aunts and uncles; his in-laws; and two cousins.

Curt is survived by his children, Tom (Candy) Risa, Pam Risa-Theirel and her children, Tom (Nikki) Theirel and Christopher Theirel; great-grandaughter Layla; his dog, Bogie; and siblings, Gordon (Carol), Dean (Marlie), Pat Risa, Patricia Vasecka, Beth (Paul) Groshart and Julie (John) Harpster.

He was laid to rest in Yellowstone National Cemetery in Laurel, Mont., with military honors.