Clyde D Terrell

On November 19, 2016, Clyde "Papa' Terrell left us at the age of 87 to be with Nana Shirley, the light of his life.

Clyde was born to Ed and Martha Terrell on February 15, 1929, in Hawthorne, Florida. He spent his childhood there and often reflected upon picking cotton and tobacco to make money for his family, sparking an amazing work-ethic that he would carry with him his whole life.

Clyde joined the Air Force in 1950 and became an aircraft engineer. While in the service he had many fond memories. One of his favorite memories was flying the late actor Raymond Burr, a.k.a. Perry Mason, to different air bases in the Orient. The best memory, however, was meeting his crew chiefs daughter, Shirley Steele. He hitchhiked from Florida to Montana in his uniform to win her heart. Clyde and Shirley got married and spent a wonderful life together, full of traveling the United States and living abroad.

In 1973, Clyde retired and returned to Paradise, Montana where he would spend the rest of his life. Fondly called "Smooth Ride Clyde", he discovered he could sell ice to Eskimos and started his 38 year career in the car business. He loved his job, especially interacting with all of the people he met. Family and friends were the two most important things in Clydes life. Family went beyond blood relatives and included those he often mentored or helped, who came to know him as "Papa" Clyde. Papa Clyde was adored by his wife of over 50 years, children, grandsons, relatives and friends. He was always there for anyone who needed it and he made everyone feel welcome with his wonderful smile. One more important thing in Clydes life was his community. He was voted Sanders County 'Man of the Year' and honored at the Sanders County Fair. When he accepted the award a list of organizations and groups that he was involved in was read. The long list surprised even his closest family and friends, showing how dedicated he was to his community. Clyde was a longtime, 40 year member of the Plains Lions Club and served on the Paradise School Board for 23 years. He was the first to volunteer when something was needed and the last to leave, even if it meant cleaning up. He was a very active 40-year member of the Paradise Methodist Church and took great pride in its appearance. Papa Clydes passing will leave a void in the community and his family's hearts that will be very hard to fill. Clyde is survived by his sister Elizabeth Pearson, son Greg Terrell (Mary), and daughter Kim Burgess (Dennis). He also had four grandchildren, Justin Terrell (Chelsea), Kyle Terrell (Caitlyn), Dusty Burgess (Tricia), and Dallas Burgess. Other family includes Sue Sneed (Jimmy), Danny Kelly (Betty), and many more cherished family members.

Service Information Visitation Saturday November 26, 2016 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Plains High School Funeral Service Saturday November 26, 2016 10:00 AM Plains High School