Lee Willis Packineau was born in Poplar, MT on January 14, 1942 to Anna Follet and Richard Wilson Packineau. His Nakota name is White Feather “Wiyaga Ska’”. He grew up on both the Fort Peck Reservation with his grandma Lena Bear Skin and on the Fort Berthold Reservation with his grandma Corn Stalk. Upon his high school graduation, he volunteered for the United States air Force and a Vietnam War combat veteran. Returning home from Vietnam, he traveled everywhere by freight, hitching and every means available to him and buddies making memories and having fun.
Willis fought and rode bulls and was a guitar player with the Red Country band. He was a champion grass dancer known throughout Indian Country in his younger days. In his older years he was champion of Triple Aces and well known at Lucky Lil’s and other casinos.
He was raised in the Wicohan (tribal) religion and was a Sun Dancer participating in Sun Dances and Medicine Lodges throughout the north. He was a traditional man and highly respected the ways of his ancestors and his religion. He was a quiet man but highly knowledgeable of the ways of his grandparents and the Nakota and Mandan Nations.
He worked in California and Texas, as an auto body man. He owned the L & L Body Shop in Wolf Point for several years. He worked for Fort Berthold Three Affiliated Tribes Housing doing construction. In 1993, he was hurt on the job in an accident and became fully disabled unable to do any physical work. But this did not stop him from learning the trade of how to push buttons for Triple Aces!
He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Alvin Bigby and Richard Packineau. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Packineau and his children Priscilla, Tonya (Manny), Jerome (Jeannette), Carol, Ashley (Jay) and his stepchildren Marianne and Adam; his sisters Sharron Caldera of California and Iris Coker of North Carolina; his adopted brother, Doug Machiskinic of Kawacatoose, Saskatchewan, Canada. He has 26 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He is survived by his oldest uncle, Willard Miller, his relatives, his close friends from Fort Peck, Fort Berthold, Canada and throughout Indian Country. He comes from a large extended family and although we did not name everyone, know he loved you all dearly and though of you.
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left using the form below.