Mitchell "Don" Gill

Mitchell “Don” Gill, 77, of Cascade passed away on August 27, 2020, at Peace Hospice in Great Falls. Don was born on February 13, 1943, in Tyler, TX to Elmer and Zell Gill. Don was the oldest of two boys (brother, Craig), raised by Zell after Elmer was killed in an auto accident when Don was just three years old. Don married the love of his life, Barbara, on July 1, 1967, and they moved to the Cascade, MT area with their two sons and grandson in July of 1984. Don and his family built their dream log home in the Upper Andy Creek area near the canyon south of Hardy Creek, MT and lived off the grid for more than 33 years. Don was a career optician and owned his own optical business in Tyler for 15 years prior to relocating to Montana. Once in the Great Falls area, Don spent 25 years with the Eye Clinic of Great Falls and often boasted of only missing one day of work due to hazardous road conditions. During those 25 years, Don touched the lives of countless Montanans with his kindness and generosity and was especially fond of the friendships he developed in various Hutterite colonies. Don is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children, Sherrie, Steve and Brian; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Don will forever be loved and remembered as “Danger Don” to the mountain community in which he lived and fellowshipped. He will be remembered for his big heart, infectious laugh, sense of humor, and unwavering love for God. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.