William Terrence “Terry” Driscoll, passed away on Friday, March 27, 2026, at his home surrounded by his loving wife and two daughters. While cancer may have taken him away far too soon, it did not break his spirit, faith and the love he shared with those around him.
Terry was born on August 21, 1951, to William A. and Noralee Driscoll in Butte, Montana. The oldest of 8 children, Terry was the epitome of “big brother,” protecting his younger siblings and helping to instigate some trouble around the neighborhood with them as well. He attended St. Ann’s Catholic School for his elementary years where he frequently served as an altar boy at Mass. Terry started playing baseball in second grade in the Mile High League and continued playing in Pee Wee, Little League, Babe Ruth and finally Legion baseball. He primarily was a pitcher and most nights growing up were spent at Father Sheehan Park watching him play. It was a family event and his large family attended to cheer him on. He attended two years of high school at Boys Central before transferring to Butte High. He graduated from Butte High in 1969. He attended several quarters of college at Montana Tech in Butte before taking the leap of enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1971. While in the Marines, he was trained as a Corrections Specialist and worked in the brig at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He often put the soldiers in the brig through strenuous workout routines, and he found a strong passion for physical fitness which he continued throughout his life. He was honorably discharged on June 13, 1974. While he was humble about his time spent in the military, he always took time to thank others in the various branches, particularly the Marines, and he made sure his daughters and grandkids knew the words of the Marine Corps hymn-which was sung annually on the Marine Corps birthday.
Shortly after his discharge from the military, Terry met the love of his life. He was out with friends and contemplating rejoining the military, however, one night everything changed. He met Mary Anne Beulieu while out and the rest was history. He knew he found “the one” and together they started their journey together. They were married on December 18, 1976, celebrating over 50 years together as a couple and almost 50 years married at the time of his passing.
Terry enrolled in college at Montana State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1979. Several years later, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Montana.
Terry always had a strong work ethic. His first job was delivering newspapers when he was in elementary school. He later delivered groceries for a local store when he was in high school. While attending college, he worked for the Milwaukee Railroad, laying and repairing track during his summer breaks. After graduating from college, he began his banking career as a management trainee at Eastside Bank of Montana in Great Falls. During his career, he worked for Eastside Bank of Montana, Village Bank of Montana, Wells Fargo and Norwest Bank. In 2000, he began working for First Interstate Bank and remained there until his passing. He developed many close relationships with his customers and worked with a team spanning multiple states. He truly enjoyed his work and was saddened when he chose to explore retirement due to his health decline. His coworkers looked to him for guidance and expertise, and his clients often spoke highly of their experiences with him. He loved numbers and knew how to strategically analyze banking investments.
While Terry was extremely dedicated to his career, he was most proud of his girls, Manon and Brianna. The title “Girl Dad” fit him perfectly and he wore it with pride. He learned how to fix and braid hair, had many facials and nail painting parties, listened to Boy Band music and helped work through any problem. He also made sure to teach the girls about shooting sports, coaching them throughout competitions, how to snow blow and run an aerator, hit a mean speedbag and above all, how to be strong mentally and physically. He instilled in them values of honesty, integrity, determination and acceptance of others. These same values were passed down to his true pride and joys, his grandchildren. Terry was over the moon about becoming a Papa. Being from Butte where everyone is given a nickname, he made sure to find the best fitting ones for his Three Musketeers. Brogan “Bubba” arrived in 2019, Jubilee “Punkin” came along in 2022, and Keeva “Scooter” completed the crew in 2023. Nothing compared to his time spent with his three littles. From teaching Brogan how to throw a baseball and spending time at the park, to snuggling with Jubi for nap time, to chatting and smiling with Keeva, every Papa moment left an imprint on the kids’ hearts. Papa always gave the best hugs and shared the tastiest popsicles and ice cream treats.
Terry was an avid reader and especially loved Louis L’Amour books. He had an extensive collection and would re-read them at least once a year. When digital readers came about, he had to have one and was usually not ever seen without it. Every free minute was a chance to dive into a book. In high school, he played handball and continued playing until his hands became too damaged to continue. He then took up racquetball instead. Terry enjoyed any kind of physical activity. He loved mountain climbing, rock climbing and ice climbing. He ran miles a day, biked and worked out at the gym almost every day. When Brianna returned home from college, she became his regular gym partner, meeting over his lunch hour every day for a signature Dad Workout of the Day. He pushed her at the gym to keep strong, while sometimes saying once they arrived, “let’s just go get a milkshake and fries today instead.” Terry was so proud of his experience with skydiving with his brother Pat. The brothers wanted to work to become certified jumpers together as a bucket list goal of Pat’s and they were able to jump twice before Pat’s passing. Terry often spoke about these shared jumps with his brother and in true big brother fashion, he wanted to help his brother work to achieve his goal.
Terry loved hunting, target shooting and archery. He became involved in the 4-H Archery Program when Manon and Brianna started in the program. He became a certified archery instructor and eventually became the lead instructor for the program. He, along with Mary Anne, continued this program for 25 years, teaching thousands of youths how to safely shoot. Many past students still would acknowledge Terry when he would see them out in the community.
Terry had two very special places he frequently visited. He, along with three of his brothers, bought 20 acres of land in the mountains outside of Butte. Together, they built a cabin using only hand tools as there was no running water and no electricity. This cabin became Terry’s home away from home, his peaceful oasis. He traveled to the cabin frequently even snow shoeing in when the snow was too deep. He enjoyed working hard fixing fence or improving the cabin but also enjoyed the solitude of being out in nature. When the family would join him, time was spent walking the fence line, target shooting, playing games and enjoying time around the fire pit. Many memories were made in the mountains. Terry also loved traveling to Oregon. He started this tradition with Mary Anne, eventually bravely having the girls and their families make the trip as well. He loved Seal Rock, Oregon and the family rented a house overlooking the ocean annually. He loved walking the beach in the morning and the evening, looking for “treasures.” He was a talented locator of agates, sea glass and shells. Once the grandkids started coming, he taught them what to look for on the beach and celebrated the treasures they found. His time spent at the beach was a treasure in itself for him and he loved taking time to watch the waves.
Faith was a major part of Terry’s life. He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church and then Holy Spirit Catholic Parish. He instilled a love of God into his kids and was deeply religious. He served within the church and continued to participate in Bible Studies to further his study of the Catholic faith.
Terry is best described as a quiet, kind and deeply devoted family man. He was a hard worker and always willing to help others. He was generous with his time and money and always made sure people were taken care of. He loved his wife, daughters, grandchildren and siblings unconditionally and saw only the best in them. He encouraged those around him to try new things and was a constant support, no matter the outcome. He was patient and always willing to share his knowledge with others, even if the teaching took a few tries. Terry was very philosophical and was able to help problem solve any situation. He loved his wife, his girls and his grandkids and he has left an everlasting impact on their lives.
Terry is preceded in death by his parents, William and Noralee Driscoll; brother, Pat; brother-in-law, John Kaluzny; parents-in-law, William and Dorothy Beaulieu; as well as numerous aunts and uncles. He is lovingly remembered and survived by his wife and soul mate, Mary Anne Beaulieu; daughters, Manon (Joe) Wofford and Brianna (Chris) Essler; grandchildren, Brogan and Keeva Essler and Jubilee Wofford; siblings, Colleen Kaluzny, Shaun Driscoll, Kevin (Amy) Driscoll, Dennis Driscoll, Clancy (Dave) O’Rourke, Karen Driscoll and Brian Driscoll; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, William and Diana Beaulieu; special cousin, Sharlene (Gary) Gibson; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
“Since it fell into my lot, that I should rise and you should not. I’ll gently rise and softly call, Good night and joy be to you all.”- The Parting Glass
Semper Fi Marine, Oorah!
Vigil service will be held Friday, June 12, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, with a Funeral Liturgy to follow on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
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