In Memory

Mike Conaway

many thanks to Tom Robinson for informing us that Mike Conaway

was killed in a car accident at Grand and Zimmerman Trail

on Wednesday, July 19,2023.

Mike's obituary will be posted here as soon as it is received.

in the meantime, here is a copy of Mike's bio posted by Jon Moe;

I am Mike Conaway.  I grew up in Billings, graduating from Billings Senior High and obtaining a master's degree in special education from Eastern Montana College (MSU-B).  I did not immediately start working in public education until sometime later when I obtained a position as a resource room teacher at Fort Washakie on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.  I retired as a principle of a day treatment school in Rock Springs, Wyoming in 2013.  With the gracious concent of my wife Lynn, we moved to Billings after her retirement in 2017.  Whoever said that you can't go home again was simply wrong.

My involvement with @cassaofyellowstonecounty came about because children are the only hope for our future.  As a teacher, i had always worked with those children who were difficult to reach and teach and were on the margins of society.  I was always impressed with their resiliency in making a way for themselves the best way they knew how.  Given the right breaks, they often succeeded in becoming productive members of their communities and families.

I primarily work with Native children and those eligible for protections under the Indian Child Welfare Act.  They represent the largest portion of children in foster care in Montana, and through no fault of their own, often stay in the system the longest.  All of them deserve to have a consistant voice advocating on their behalf in the labyrinth of the system.  With CASA involvement, children find permanency at a much higher rate than those without the advocacy that CASA provides.  When I personally witness each child's courage in dealing with the trauma in their lives and find permanency, then I know that I made the right decision by being a CASA.  It is one of the most fulfilling decsions I have made in my life.



 
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07/22/23 02:51 PM #1    

Merry Steffensen (Wottawah)

So sorry to hear about Mike Conaway's tragic accident. Mike and I were in the BSHS band ! 
Looking through the yearbook I realize how active Mike was in high school. And reading about his accomplishments with Native American children, I admire his achievements and dedication to help so many unfortunate ones! In retrospect he was a real hero !

 


07/23/23 12:39 PM #2    

Linda Johnson (Baker)

God bless you Mike for working with CASA and primarily Native American children. I did know who Mike was but not well. This is no surprise that he served and worked with children who needed an advocate in their lives. My condolences and prayers to Mike's family for comfort and peace.

07/23/23 01:42 PM #3    

Mary Ann LaRue (Pleger)

So sorry to hear about Mike's passing in such a tragic way.  Clearly he was doing very valuable work and has left a wonderful legacy.  He was just taken from us too soon.


07/24/23 07:39 AM #4    

David Butler

I did not know Mike well, so I was simultaeously surpised, impressed, and (mostly) moved to read about what he had done in his life. A wonderful man.

Reading about him made me reflect on our class in general. What a remarkable bunch! Here’s to all of the teachers, librarians, nurses, doctors, engineers, mechanics, farmers, ranchers, golf professionals :-), and all the others of whatever stripe who worked to make life better for others. 


07/24/23 03:39 PM #5    

David Bergeson

Mike was a good man, with a good heart and an artistic eye. We had been Facebook friends of late and I will miss our brief back and forth comments. Mike is one of us who made a significant difference in our world.


07/25/23 01:41 PM #6    

Terry Mattison

I knew Mike from Kindergarten (I think), certainly from first grade and I knew his parents pretty well.  So sad to hear of such a senseless loss of a really good man.  


07/27/23 01:28 PM #7    

Elbio Rosselli

I was saddened to learn about Mike’s passing.  As it was with Ben Marchello, I am awed by life’s twists and turns.  A fraction of a second less or more and things would not have happened, or with a less tragic outcome.  I was not in class together with Mike, but we would occasionally meet and chat.  He was a kind and warm person.  I remember fondly a ski weekend in Bozeman that Mike and his parents invited me and Werner Fritz (then, Billings West’s AFS student). My thoughts and sympathy to Mike’s family.


08/20/23 01:59 PM #8    

Michael (Milo) Carbis

here's a copy of Mike's obituary published in the Gazette today;

BILLINGS - Michael "Mike" Conaway, 76, of Billings, Montana, unexpectedly passed away on July 18, 2023 in a traffic accident.

Mike was born on December 20, 1946 in Great Falls, Montana and later adopted by Clifton "Cliff" and June Conaway of Billings, Montana. After Mike graduated from Billings Senior High in 1965, he went on to study history at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

After earning his diploma, Mike entered service with the United States Marine Corps where he was trained as a journalist and photographer. Mike was honorably discharged from the USMC for medical issues before active deployment in 1971. After his service, he became a freelance photographer in the Toronto, Canada area.

In the mid-70s, Mike returned to Billings to complete a master's degree in special education from Eastern Montana College. It is during this time that Mike joined his father's business venture, and the two operated a camouflage manufacturing business.

Mike would go on to work as a special education teacher and school principal in Wyoming until his retirement in 2014.

Championing the underdog was a way of life for Mike. As an educator he was most at home with the students the system would have rather cast aside.

Mike was an involved member of the recovery community, and his guidance helped pull many from the clutches of addiction over more than 30 years. Mike was an advocate with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) group, standing up for abused and neglected children.

Mike was an avid photographer, voracious reader, and an aficionado of music. He was always up for an adventure, and put many thousands of miles on his vehicles traveling the backroads of Montana, Wyoming and the American West to find unique vistas, wildlife, and buildings for his photographs. His journeys took him abroad to Kenya, Cuba, and Costa Rica.

Later in life, Mike discovered his tribal heritage and enrolled as a member of the Gros Ventre tribe. Connecting with his roots was an ever increasing part of his life that included enrolling in language classes at the Aaniiih Nakoda College in Harlem, Montana.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Cliff and June. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Lynn; his former spouse Cathy and their children - son Sean (April) and his daughters Adeline, Charlotte, Emerson, and Nora; daughter Meghan and Meghan's son Noah; and step-daughter Beth (Jay McFarland) and her daughter Claire.

A public remembrance will be held from 2p.m. to 4p.m. Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 2931 Colton Boulevard, Billings, MT.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to an organization or cause that supports education.
Published by Billings Gazette on Aug. 20, 2023.


08/21/23 09:23 AM #9    

Jonathon (Jon) Moe

Extraordinary story that ends tragicly...very sad, but a good life lived.

08/23/23 06:07 AM #10    

Marla Connor (Davenport)

It is sad to learn that a person who accomplished so much good was taken so suddenly!   Mike lived a life of service and had so many unique experiences.  I knew Mike well from playing in the band and many classes. Since our last names were so close alphabetically, we often sat near each other in class. What surprises me is that he became a teacher and principal in the school where I attended in grades 1 to 3 in Fort Washakie, Wyoming.  I contacted the school around 2010 to invite them to participate in on online student project. Who knows, our paths might have crossed again!  Thank you Mike for your important life's work! Prayers for peace for his family! 


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