Dana (DeLong) McCarty

Florence - Dana was born to Denton DeLong and Dolores (Fryberger) DeLong on July 24, 1944 in Bremerton, WA. She died on March 13, 2026 at the home in Florence, MT.

Dana grew up in Bremerton, WA. She first met her husband, Mike, at the age of 5, he was 6, while living in the same neighborhood for four years. Mike then moved to Port Orchard, WA where he lived on a small ranch. Dana and Mike stayed in touch until age 18 when they went on their separate ways.

Dana and Mike were reunited in 1968 after Mike’s return from Vietnam. They were married on February 10, 1969 in Belfair, WA.

In 1971, they moved to Missoula, MT where Mike attended the University of Montana and Dana gained employment with Rosenblum Gallery. In 1974, they moved to Florence, MT where Dana remained for the rest of her life.

Dana worked as a school buss driver for Florence School District from 1985 until 2000. She loved her job and she loved her “kids”. Dana retired in 2005 so she and Mike could travel south during the winter months. In 2014, Dana became ill with ling cancer. She spent the next 12 years fighting cancer and various other medical issues.

Dana is survived by her husband, Michael McCarty; a son, Joel Bennett; a daughter, Leslie Bennett; a step-daughter, Shelley Johnston; her niece, Kimberly Adair; her nephew, Noel Thompson. She is also survived by numerous relatives in Great Falls, MT and Bremerton, WA.

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