Robert Kirk Frank

Robert Kirk Frank, aged 71, of Great Falls, MT, a dedicated father, grandfather, brother and friend - passed away at his home on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

Kirk was born to Bob and Karen Frank in Anaconda, MT on December 28, 1954. He was raised in Anaconda and Great Falls. He reminisced about his childhood by sharing stories of BB guns, fishing and various shenanigans with pals on the westside of town. His was an avid hunter with his dad and they spent their hunting seasons at camp in Gold Creek. He attended C.M. Russell High School and graduated in 1973. Before beginning his 50-year career owning and operating Falls Painting and Decorating, Kirk sold the Great Falls Tribune as a youngster for 10 cents a paper on the corner of Central Avenue and 3rd Street and then worked with friends and family at the popular 4B’s restaurant where he loved the tomato soup and fried chicken.

He met his first wife, Gail Hancock, in the CMR high school library in 1972. He remembered her as a beautiful woman and they married in 1978. Together they welcomed two daughters, Jenni and Nicole. Kirk and Gail had many stories of fun while fishing the rivers of Montana and many adventures with their tight group of friends that included trips to Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Lake Inez. Kirk and Gail spent a lot of their time with Gail’s parents, Don and Lila in Augusta and camped regularly at Sun Canyon and fished at Gibson and Willow Creek Reservoirs. They divorced in 1990.

In 1989, Kirk went to the Virgin Islands to work with his buddies to rebuild and repair the island after Hurricane Hugo. He returned with tales of scuba diving, seashell hunting and island life.

Kirk was a hard worker and never passed up having a good time. Part of having a good time was meeting his second wife, Ladawna Nelson. They married in 2000, blended their families and parented 6 teenagers together (Jenni, Marlena, Amanda, Stephen, Nicole and Jared). They divorced in 2007, but remained good friends and enjoyed each other's company and their shared love for all their adult children. Kirk taught Stephen everything he knew about carpentry and the painting business, they worked together side by side for many years. Kirk was proud to pass along his knowledge of the trade to Stephen and was known to visit the worksite long after he retired to see what Stephen and his crew were working on.

In 2007, Kirk began attending Central Assembly of God Church with his daughters. There, he was embraced by a loving community and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Kirk was baptized in the Sun River by his son-in-laws, Jon and Dustin, after a great evening of fishing. He served in missions trips to Moldova and Kenya. He worked numerous summers at Glacier Bible Camp and DownPour Music Festival. He was always one to serve, he especially enjoyed using his trade talent to repair and build for the church community and all appreciated his exceptional BBQ grilling skills.

In later years, Kirk devoted himself to spending as much time as he could with his children and grandchildren. Every summer and holiday was enjoyed with his beloved grandchildren McCaila, Hannah, Ryder, Noah, and Sawyer. Being a grandfather came naturally to Kirk. His grandkids loved his affection, candy treats, and shared meals. The grandkids always knew Papa was good for a Snickers bar, Circus Peanuts, or Red Vines. His close friends recall his cravings for Howard’s Pizza, “B for Four” at Peking Garden and homemade tamales.

Once Kirk fully retired, the family’s favorite times of the year were the weeks spent at the cabin and ranch, not a week went by without Kirk saying, “I’m heading to the ranch.” During those wonderful days, he offered his fishing expertise, boating tips, hunting stories and handyman skills to everyone. Kirk never missed watching the grandboys basketball games online. He also enjoyed “palling around” with his girls as they drove all over Great Falls and listened to his stories about houses, he lived in or remodeled; these trips often led to Dairy Queen!

As Kirk’s health declined, he prepared fishing tackle boxes for each of his grandchildren with the decades of equipment he had collected. He was proud to see them using his items to catch fish of their own. He also began passing down his vast collection of Great Falls Select antiques. Kirk had a green thumb for backyard vegetable gardens and continued planting and tending to his corn, zucchinis and tomato plants until he could no longer keep up. His girls had his gardening help every early summer with their own flower gardens. Kirk was the best cribbage player anyone ever met. He was sharp with his card strategies to the very end of his life.

Kirk had a charming presence, was fun-loving and those who knew him well will always remember him. He will be deeply missed by his loving daughters, his devoted sister and many special friends that he spent his days with.

Kirk is survived by his daughters, Jenni (Jon) Leach and Nicole (Dustin) Thompson; and stepson, Stephen Johnson; sister, Margie (Jeffrey) Haugh, all of Great Falls; and grandchildren, McCaila Thompson, Hannah Thompson, Ryder Leach, Noah Thompson, and Sawyer Leach.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Karen Frank and brother, Ken Frank.

Memorials are suggested to Solid Rock Bible Church Kids Ministry in Great Falls.

A Celebration of Life & Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Willo Ranch, 719 Sheep Creek Road, Cascade, MT. A luncheon of Kirk’s favorite summertime foods will immediately follow the service.