John William Althof, 58, passed away on Monday, August 24, 2026 from an accident at his home in Helena, MT. John’s Celebration of Life will take place at 2 p.m., Friday, September 11, 2026 at Mount Helena Community Church, Helena. Arrangements are with Big Sky Cremations in Helena, MT.
John W. Althof, age 58, of Helena, MT – Big Sky Cremations
John William Althof was born on March 27, 1968, in Ada, Minnesota, to John and Sally (Stransky) Althof. He had the special distinction of sharing a birthday with his mother, Sally. John joined older siblings Kim and Rick and grew up in Dickinson, North Dakota.
On August 24, 2026, John passed away following a farming accident at his home in the East Valley. He was 58 years old.
John graduated from Dickinson High School in 1986 and remained proud to be a mighty Midget (mascot). During high school, he worked in the school cafeteria and at Happy Joe’s Pizza, and throughout his life he maintained that Happy Joe’s made the best taco pizza ever.
After graduation, John moved to Billings, Montana, where he lived with his aunt Donna and worked as the assistant manager at Bob’s Pizza Plus. He later spent two summers working seasonally as a garbage man—a job John loved to talk about, particularly when reminiscing about how “ripped” he was from throwing garbage all summer.
John eventually moved to Bozeman and enrolled at Montana State University, where he worked in the MSU auto shop while attending school. On December 15, 1988, John joined the Army National Guard. His college years were interrupted when he was deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm on January 17, 1991. John served first as a Chemical Operations Specialist and later as a Military Police Officer.
After returning to Bozeman, John met Suzy Price. They married on June 3, 1995, and later moved to Helena. Their daughter, Alex, was born there, joining her brother Josh.
From the day Alex was born, she was John’s whole world. He loved her deeply, was tremendously proud of her, and was honored to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. That was a moment he treasured.
John and Suzy divorced in May 2006. Later that year, on New Year’s Eve, John met Patsy at a party at Eagles 4040 in East Helena. From that day forward, John and Patsy were together.
Their love story included a proposal that could only have belonged to John and Patsy. With the help of their O-Mok-See family, John proposed at the 2009 State O-Mok-See in Big Sandy, Montana, with letters displayed on the horses’ butts as they entered the arena. On June 19, 2010, John and Patsy were married on horseback in York, Montana.
After moving to Helena, John worked for Helena Industries for a few years before beginning his career with the Montana Department of Transportation in 1998 as a Railroad Specialist. He remained with MDT until his passing, dedicating nearly three decades to his work. John also served as the Montana Coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, helping promote railroad safety and education throughout the state.
John loved the outdoors, but perhaps nowhere was he happier than on the water. He was an avid rafter and loved being on the river—any river. Through rafting, John made wonderful friends and built a rafting family that meant a great deal to him.
He also enjoyed “taking his gun for a walk” and drowning a few worms from time to time.
John liked riding horses, although he was considerably less enthusiastic about brushing and saddling them. He was a member of the Helena Trail Riders and the Western Patriots Saddle Club, communities that brought him many friendships, memories, and opportunities to enjoy the horse world in his own way.
The last time John rode was shortly after Alex and Giles’ wedding, when Alex’s roommates from Rhode Island came to visit and wanted to ride. John climbed aboard Patsy’s horse, Jiffy, while Alex rode Country. John was delighted to discover he could still stay on while running O-Mok-See events—and equally proud that Alex could still ride a fast horse and run the events she grew up doing. It became one more wonderful memory shared with Alex and her friends.
John also loved to cook and, even more, loved having people around to enjoy the food he made. He was happiest hosting parties, gatherings, and events, and he had a habit of making far more food than anyone could possibly eat. Whether it was a family get-together, an O-Mok-See event, a rafting gathering, or any other occasion, John made sure no one left hungry. Feeding people was one of the ways he showed his love, and there was always room for one more person at the table—and usually enough food for ten more.
Music also brought John joy, particularly the sound of the violin. Two of his favorite violinists were Lindsey Stirling and Karolina Protsenko.
John lived a life filled with stories-the kind that were usually better when he was the one telling them. He worked hard, served his country, loved adventure, found family on rivers and in arenas, and loved the people in his life fiercely. He leaves behind countless memories that will continue to make those who loved him laugh, smile, and miss him terribly.
John is survived by his wife, Patsy; daughter, Alex (Giles) Hardy; stepdaughters, Brittany (Lucius) McGillivray, Charmayne Kaminski, and Leea Anderson (Zane Nordahl), sister, Kim (Cal) Dowhaniuk; brother, Rick (Traci) Althof; father, John Althof; nieces, Casandra Jablonsky (Corey), Kelcie (Cordell) Schaff, Chelsea Althof, and Sammy Althof; step-niece, Emily Frederick; grandchildren, Torin, Emmett, and Ali McGillivray, Drew and Jax Kaminski; great-nephews, Carsen and Kollin Schaff and Cooper Jablonsky; sister-in-law, Penny (Gary) Koehler; brothers-in-law, Jerry Baertsch and Huck McGowan; along with his extended family and the many friends who became family throughout his life.
John was preceded in death by his mother, Sally Althof; her longtime partner, Don Dworshak; and his stepmother, Lois Althof.
John’s life was far too short, but it was certainly not ordinary. He will be deeply missed on the river, in the arena, around the campfire, at family gatherings, and everywhere a good story deserves to be told.