Kent Allen Stetler

Kent Allen Stetler, age 78, passed away peacefully on May 3, 2026, at St Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. His wife Polly and his son Chris were at his side. He died of complications from open heart surgery.

Kent was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Harry Nathan Stetler and Exie Allen Stetler. He was the oldest of five children. The Stetler family moved to Missoula in the early 1950s and Kent went to elementary schools in the Rattlesnake, Hellgate High, Texas A&M, and Portland State University.

He met the love of his life, Polly, skiing at Whitefish, Montana, over spring break in 1969. They were married in 1971 at Flathead Lake. One of Kent’s greatest joys was the birth of their son Christopher in 1979. Their family grew when Chris married Laura Trausch of Missoula in 2006.

Kent was originally a custom cabinet maker and then worked for MRL for 25 years. When he was young, he learned to ski, fly fish, and loved spending summers at Flathead Lake with family and friends. As he grew older, he enjoyed golf and a long membership at the Ranch Club. He had two “hole-in-ones” with one of them as recently as 2025. He also learned to bake and made delicious sourdough bread!

Kent loved to have fun! He enjoyed music, travel, beautiful flora, history, good food, and life!

Survivors include his wife Polly, his son Chris and his wife Laura (Connecticut), his sister Gay Stetler (Peoria, AZ), his brother Bruce Stetler and wife Joanne (Las Vegas, NV), his sister Exie France and her husband Tim (Missoula), and sister Debbie Stetler (Missoula). Additional survivors include his sibling’s children and grandchildren.

Kent’s spiritual services were private in May and will be held again in the fall when his family is in town.

Kent led a life well-lived filled with love and joy!