Darlene Siedschlaw

Darlene Witt Siedschlaw, 84, of Bozeman, passed away on Friday, August 18, 2017.

Darlene was a remarkable woman.

She was born June 3, 1933 on a farm near Nickwall, MT as the second child of Leslie and Iola Witt. After moving to Wolf Point, she graduated from high school in 1951 and started work as a telephone operator.

Citing her grandmother Nora Witt as her role model, she was taught that it was the role of women to vote and give back to society because it was an honor, privilege and duty.

In her public life, from her operator job, she rose steadily and successfully up the corporate ladder in the telecom business where she received national and international recognition as a leader in diversity.

As an executive director at US West in Denver, she was responsible for EEO, Affirmative Action and diversity legislation, where she was a frequent representative of the company in D.C. and Capitol Hill.

In that role she was quoted in numerous books, Newsweek, Fortune, Black Enterprise and The Wall Street Journal as well as appearing on NBC Nightly News.

In 1995, she retired to Bozeman, MT where she brought her skills and sense of civic responsibility to a number of national, state and local organizations. Besides being on the national Equal Employment Advisory board, she gave most of her efforts to her beloved state of Montana. There she served as state president of the League of Women Voters. She also served on the boards of Special Olympics, Montana Pro Choice/NARAL and Montana State University’s School of Business and MSU Library as well as both the Montana and Bozeman Business and Professional Women’s organizations.

But it was in her personal life that we must truly honor her. To her family and friends, she was Toots. With a sharp mind, endless wit and laughter and a sparkle in her eyes, she spread her positive joy of life and endless generosity to everyone that knew her. To her, the only people who weren’t her friends were those she hadn’t met yet.

She was the life of every party and made everyone there feel special. She loved to travel the world, to dance and to socialize. The perfect night was with friends for “a bite to eat and a toddy for the body.”

At slightly taller than five feet, she fit comfortably at a board meeting or in her leprechaun outfit on St. Patrick’s Day. She even went so far as to travel to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone.

Even though her health failed over the last several years, she’d still smile and nod, especially when she heard Patsy Cline or a lilting Irish melody.

Hers was a full life that we celebrate. A woman who rose high not only in business but in the hearts of everyone that knew her.

She was predeceased by her parents, her younger brother Ron Witt (Butch) and her former husband, Otto. She leaves her daughter Debra Siedschlaw and son-in-law David Swain of Voorhees, NJ, and her brother and sister Floyd and Ramona Witt, both of Havre, MT. As well as three generations of nieces and nephews, countless friends from around the world and her faithful cat Callie, who never left her side and was with her at the end.

We’d also like to give our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the caring and loving staff at Brookdale-Springmeadow Assisted Living and Bozeman Hospice.

A memorial service will be held at Dahl Funeral Home, 300 Highland Blvd, Bozeman MT 59715 at 11am, on Saturday, August 26 with a brunch to immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, 1549 E. Cameron Bridge, Bozeman, MT 59715.