Lifelong resident and leader dies suddenly

Published 4:11 pm Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Monte Lindsley, a lifelong Sammamish resident and co-leader for the local Girl Scout troop, was diagnosed with colon cancer on Jan. 27. Unaware of how long he had been living with the disease, doctors told him that the cancer had spread to his liver. Twenty-one days after being diagnosed, Lindsley was gone.

“Monte was a loving father of our child, friend, and companion of mine for 20 years,” Monique Chastain, Lindsley’s wife, said. “We met as the best of friends and also parted the same way.”

Monte became a father at 50-years-old with his daughter, Elysia, currently in 8th grade. He was involved with her Girl Scout troop since she was a first grader, and after several years of directly assisting, he became a co-leader.

“Monte stayed active with the scouts encompassing his love for his daughter, nature, laughter and the arts in one special place,” Chastain said. “In his final days he wished to be near her and gave every effort and last strength to share as much as he could with the child he named ‘Elysian’, meaning blissful and delightful.”

Leslie Hall, Lindsley’s co-leader, said he was a kind-hearted, creative and compassionate friend to all. She said that he was very interested in the environment, and over this past year he had been working with a few girls to achieve their GS Silver Award.

“They created a trail at Camp River Ranch with the intent on re-igniting interest in the environment and plant life,” Hall saids. “There is still some work to be done on the trail. We are hoping to have a ribbon cutting ceremony in May and inviting the community to join us. My daughter, husband, and I after hearing the news of his passing, drove to the camp and walked through the trail we just created last spring.  It is a beautiful trail that leads to the river. He (Lindsley) was so full of life.”

Jan Viney, who worked with Lindsley for three years at Camp River Ranch in Carnation, said that although he was an hourly employee, he worked by his own clock to do whatever it took to heal the native forest and create opportunities for others to connect with its energy.

“At Camp River Ranch, he opened up over 10 miles of trails to take girls to experience the awe and wonder of our northwest native forest,” Viney said. “In doing that, he guided and empowered girls, adult volunteers, high school service students, prisoners, and many more, to connect and experience the beauty. What he has created there will be a gift for the whole community for generations.”

It’s no question Lindsley was an outdoor man, having climbed Mt. Rainier at least four times and building an amazing tree house in his family’s backyard.

Hall said he also had a talent for making furniture out of maple vines, which were featured in Town & Country.

“He told us that when he turned 30 he could die saying he had led a great life. Luckily that didn’t happen. At age 50, he became a father,” Hall said.

Many community members have spoken out with Lindsley’s many accomplishments, having been a huge asset to the city of Sammamish and the surrounding areas.

“His spirit lives within our hearts, his accomplishments were many we will be forever proud of,” Chastain said.