Gary Allen Leddige of Helena passed away on Friday evening November 12 due to complications from the virus, kidney disease and diabetes with his wife at his side. He put up a strong tough fight, but God decided he needed one of his best people with him. Gary was born on February 16, 1961 in Roseau, MN to Dean and Joanne (LaVoy) Leddige. His family moved to Wolf Point, Montana where he attended school and graduated from Wolf Point High School in May 1979. He was the second oldest in a family of five kids (one older brother Larry, and three younger sisters Jackie, Nina and Susan.) On January 13, 1983, he joined the Army and served for two years. He received an Associate Degree in Computer Technology from Northern Montana College in Havre in June 1987. Gary joined the Montana Army National Guard and was stationed in units in Havre, Glasgow and Helena. He was promoted to Sergeant and became a Medical Specialist/Combat Medic before being discharged in 1994.Gary was a detention officer for a short period of time for the Roosevelt County Sheriff Office in Wolf Point. He became a volunteer EMT in the Glasgow area in 1991. He proudly served his country and Montana in the military and helped others as a first responder. In 1991, he moved to Helena where he started his career at West Mont working the graveyard shift for many years. He was the type of man who would think of others. One time the house behind his own caught on fire while he was outside mowing the lawn. He risked his own life by trying to climb through the small bathroom window after hearing a young girl might be inside the burning house. Luckily, the little girl was fine and was not inside, and he was able to save the little girl's pet parakeet. On June 14, 1992, he met his future wife Nancy. They were married on June 3, 1994 by former Justice of the Peace Wally Jewell in Helena. Gary was the glass was half full guy, and Nancy was the glass was half emptied girl. He would love to tease her about certain things. He would put deer hamburger in with the regular hamburger because he knew she did not like wild game meat, and he would wait a few days later to tell her what she had eaten. Gary put a fake bug in her shoe one time because he knew she would freak out. The moment she felt the bug in her shoe, she started getting scared. Their cat Ace came to her rescue by growling and attacked the shoe to protect her while their other cat Smokey was looking at the both of them like they were nuts. One time he decided to hide her chocolate by making her look for the chocolate by leaving notes around the house until she finally found it. She would ask him to make sure she did not eat too much mashed potatoes and would get mad at him when she realized she ate too much.He also loved to tease Nancy about her being an animal lover by saying he loved animals next to the mashed potatoes and gravy on a plate. He may have teased her about it, but he would turn the television channel when he saw a commercial about animal abuse because it would make him sad. He also brought in a cold, wet kitten on a cold rainy October day because he felt terrible about the poor little thing being outside, and chances are he would have kept the kitten if he did not already have two cats. Nancy would tell him he was her big kid, and their cats were her smaller kids. He loved to play and bugged their cats until they would start running around the house, and Nancy would roll her eyes at him and say thank you in a sarcastic way because the cats would bug her and leave him alone. He was the one who was brave enough to brush Sassy's fur coat, leading her not to be happy about the whole experience. She also was not happy when he sat down on her chair to the point she would let out a few meows stating her displeasure about her not being able to sleep on the chair. And of course being the typical female, she would roll her eyes and give him a dirty look when he told her she needed to lose some weight. When it came to saying goodbye to their cats Ace, Smokey, Misty and Tia, he was the one who held them and struggled with holding back the tears. He is now in heaven with them, his father Dean, mother Joanne, brother Larry, and his donor Krista. On November 17, 2000, they received the news that would change their lives forever. Gary was diagnosed with Acute Renal Failure. The doctors and dialysis unit staff said he was a miracle because he was seriously ill to the point he was given two weeks to live. Gary would love to joke around with the dialysis unit nurses especially when they asked him if he needed anything. His usual responses would be I would like a few shots of whiskey or gin or can I have a nice big steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and a can of beer. The nurses would laugh and ask the doctor. He was told a few times if he decided to extend his medical training and become a nurse they would have liked him to work with them in the unit because of his kindness, respect and sympathy for the other patients and their families. His medical team and dialysis unit staff worked hard along with Gary's stubbornness and strength to fight his illness with everything he had led him to receiving a wonderful and generous gift of a new kidney on April 27, 2004 from his donor Krista. Nancy will like to thank Gary's medical team because they gave her 21 more years with him, Virginia Mason Transplant Center in Seattle WA, Fort Harrison VA Center, her husband's kidney donor Krista and her beautiful, kind family, and for the wonderful people who prayed, supported and were by her and Sassy's side during the last few weeks of Gary's life. There are truly angels among us.Cremation has taken place. On Wednesday December 1st, a Celebration of Life Service with military honors will be at Fort Harrison at 12:00 p.m. A reception at Helena Valley Community Center will follow. Please do not dress up for the service and reception. Wear blue jeans, a nice t-shirt or shirt and tennis shoes or boots since it was Gary's style of clothes he liked to wear. Donations in his memory can be made to Helena Food Share or Lewis and Clark Humane Society.