Ted Parini

Family Services: Will be held in Butte at a later date.

Ted Henry Parini, 86, of Butte passed away peacefully in Miles City while visiting his daughter on September 6, 2010 due to complications from pneumonia.

Ted was born the seventeenth of eighteen children to Daniel and Olympia Tartini Parini. He was born and raised in Elk Park Valley where he grew up on the family dairy learning to milk cows at a very young age. He also learned at a very young age to train and work with horses whether for riding or used as teams to do the daily functions on the ranch.

Ted was an avid boxer and his passion for the sport was so deep that he would jog from Elk Park to Butte several times a week to train and then have to jog back home. His determination paid off and he qualified for the Olympics. One of his favorite sparing partners was John Masonovich and his idol was professional boxer Joe Lewis who he had the honor of meeting and shaking hands.

After leaving the family ranch Ted bought the Beebe Grain feed store where he owned and operated it for 46 years being a successful business man and making many friends.

One sunny day in Butte he seen a fine looking woman walking down the street. He asked her if she wanted to go to coffee and she accepted. Little did he know he was having coffee with the love of his life. Ted and Shirlee Norbury were married on December 30, 1965 and celebrated 45 wonderful years of marriage, from this union two daughters, Shirlee and Dana, were born. They bought 30 acres just out of Butte where Ted built their home and they began their life together. Ted lived a full life enjoying the things he loved to do most. He loved carpenter work and built many buildings including a log cabin on their acreage in Elk Park as well as numerous buildings and corrals for his children. He loved to hunt and was able to hunt until the end. He loved working and training horses and passed this love onto his daughters who grew up rodeoing. Ted always made sure his girls were mounted on good horses that would take them to the winners circle. His daughters carry on the tradition where they continue to raise and train horses and barrel race. He was able to enjoy a day of watching barrel racing, visiting with friends and watch his daughter make one last winning run and his granddaughter run barrels just a day before he fell ill. Ted also loved to ride in the mountains where he rode many miles on his good horse Bugsy followed by his faithful dogs Shep and Bear.

Ted is survived by his wife Shirlee of Butte; son Tom (Becky) Parini of San Francisco, CA, grandchildren Mia (Carlos) Parini-Ramirez and Ted Parini, daughter Marti (Steve) Burke of Greenwood, NE, granddaughter Kelci (Travis) Swenson; daughter Shirlee (Tim) Kaczmarek of Billings; daughter Dana (Marty) Penrod of Miles City, granddaughter Rylee Penrod: daughter Trudy (Hao) Wang of Missoula, granddaughter Lilly (Caleb) Nelson and great grandson Colton Nelson; step son Russ Backstrom of Marion Valley, CA, grandchildren RC and Elizabeth Backstrom, two sisters Caroline Peterson of Butte and Edith Rautio of Batesville, AR.

He was preceded in death by his parents and 15 brothers and sisters.

His last request was to be cremated with no services pending and have his ashes taken to one of his favorite hunting spots. Should friends desire, memorials may be sent to one's choice of charity related to rodeo.