St. Ignatius police chief dies
Karen Peterson photo
St. Ignatius Police Chief Charles Kuczynski
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
ST. IGNATIUS — St. Ignatius officials received word that Police Chief Charles “Ski” Kuczynski died from cancer complications on Dec. 24.
According to City Clerk LeeAnn Gottfried, Kuczynski was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer on Dec. 1. Kuczynski left western Montana in mid-December and went to his former home, Arkansas, to receive treatment because local hospitals lacked the necessary facilities to fight the disease.
On Christmas Eve, city officials received word that Kuczynski had died. Exact date of death is unknown.
Officials with the Forrest City Police Department in Arkansas, where Kuczynski worked for seven years before becoming St. Ignatius chief, said they were unsure of when or where funeral services would be.
Forrest City Police Major Deon Lee said Kuczynski was a knowledgeable guy who took younger officers under his wing.
“He was a very good officer,” Lee said. “He cared about his job. He cared how we did.”
Flathead Tribal Police Officer Bill Dupuis graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy with Kuczynski. The two had stayed in touch very little over the years.
Dupuis said Kuczynski did manage to establish a reputation in St. Ignatius during the chief’s short-lived tenure.
“He was well liked in St. Ignatius, even by the town council,” Dupuis said. “He was a people person. He’d park his car and walk through businesses. He wasn’t one to sit in his car.”
The Valley Journal was unable to reach Mayor Charley Gariepy about what the town’s police coverage currently consists of in absence of a chief. The St. Ignatius Town Council usually includes police matters in every meeting. The council was expected to meet Jan. 6, as the Valley Journal went to press.
Members of the St. Ignatius Community Watch said the program would continue without the chief, who played a role in helping get it off the ground.
