Vernon Lee Durand

Vernon Lee Durand, 89, of Great Falls, passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2021. A visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 10, 2021, at O’Connor Funeral Home. A funeral liturgy will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with burial to follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Lewistown. Vernon was born on September 1, 1932, to Virgil and Mary (Lambdin) Durand in Walla Walla, WA. He graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1950. He excelled in track and was never beaten, all blue ribbons. He also played baseball as a catcher and was the lead-off hitter, very rare for a catcher. After graduation, he joined the US Air Force on January 5, 1951. He served during the Korean War before being honorably discharged December of 1954. He worked on and installed Minute Man Missiles with Boeing and he also worked on aircraft at Moses Lake, WA. During the installation of the Minute Man Missiles he worked in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Missouri. Vernon worked as a farm equipment parts manager until he retired from the work force December of 1997. He married Julie Laverdure on August 24, 1963, in Deadwood, SD. Together they had five children and were married for 58 years. Vernon loved to travel with their friends, Bob and Dee Stanley. He also loved to fish and hunt with Jim, as well as go bowling. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Julie; children, Madeline (John) Rickman of Biloxi, MS and Alan (Irene) Durand of Great Falls; 10 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and children, Stacey Durand Brower, Joe Durand, and Billy Jo Durand.