Our beloved dad and papa, Marvin Howard Eicholtz, passed away peacefully on May 10th to cancer.

He was preceded in death by his parents Howard and Myrtle Eicholtz and is survived by his sister Joanne Larson (Lowell), his son Brian Eicholtz (Danielle), daughter Emily Eicholtz (Hunter Morrical), and his granddaughters Ella and Mya.

Marvin, known to many simply as “Marv”, to his granddaughters as “Papa Marv”, or by his coffee/sandwich order pseudo-name “Jackson”, as he was often mistaken as “Mary”, was born on April 9th, 1948, in Sidney, Montana, to Myrtle and Howard Eicholtz. Marv loved growing up in small-town Sidney playing with neighborhood friends and participating in several sports. Marv graduated from Sidney High School in 1966 and moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana, where he graduated with a B.S. in Finance & Accounting in 1970. During his undergraduate years, Marv was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He remained a passionate Griz fan his entire life and held football season tickets for several decades. He passed along his dedicated fandom to his children, who followed in his footsteps as UM graduates and Griz football fanatics.

Between his undergraduate and graduate years, Marv lived around the country with stints in San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis, and Hawaii. A defining moment of this time was when Stevie Nicks, practicing with her not-yet-known band Fleetwood Mac, sat on his lap in a Hawaiian bar and sang to him. By the time he returned to UM to pursue a master’s degree, Marv had ditched his preppy fraternity era and leaned fully into what Missoula was in the 70s. This period of his life produced photos that his family constantly used to lovingly tease him about. Fully bearded with long hair, Marv had a class schedule of dance, ceramics and circus techniques. Over time, he lost his ability to dance and spin clay, but he always stood ready to prove he could still juggle. Marv never ended up earning a master’s degree in these years, but he did say the Aber Day Kegger was a great time.

After his second stint of college, Marv moved to Helena to pursue a career in state government. Marv married and had two children, Brian and Emily. While Marv lived a full and adventurous life before having children, it was when his kids were born that he found his true calling - being a dad. Once a parent, he didn’t miss a moment of their lives. He built a life of adventure and the outdoors for them, taking trips to the Columbia River Gorge every summer for camping and windsurfing, and spending winters skiing around the state with a large group of family friends. Skiing was his favorite pastime, and he passed that love to his kids and grandkids. Marv skied relentlessly in retirement, recording many years of more than 50 days on the slopes. He skied until the low snowpack winter of 2024, when poor snow conditions (not his skiing ability) led to a fall and severe leg fracture that ended his ski career just shy of his 76th birthday. He often remarked that the most important legacy he will leave behind is his locker at Snowbowl.

Marv had an unforgettable laugh and a witty sense of humor. He was always a good sport when his kids made him the butt of most jokes. If you found yourself opposite Marv in a board game, be prepared for it to take much longer than expected as he carefully measured his next move. Marv often found himself the target of insults for taking too long. In his final cribbage game, the world should know that he lost to his 10-year-old granddaughter, fair and square, by one point.

Regardless of his kids' age, Marv never stopped parenting. He still called and went through the “travel checklist” before an upcoming trip (full tank of gas, cash, contact solution….), badgered you to get a flu shot, and made you show him your ID or passport before driving to the airport. The parenting habits he portrayed will likely live on, as it’s assumed to be genetic. All jokes aside, Marv represented the very best of parenthood: unwavering dedication, unconditional love, and a lifelong commitment to his family.

We are grateful for his team of doctors and nurses at St. Pats in Missoula, who worked tirelessly to help treat his extremely rare disease.

Marv will be missed by many, and we are planning a celebration of life in Missoula on Friday, August 28th, for all who wish to attend.