It is with heavy hearts that the family of Lyle Allen Nalivka announce his passing on September 29, 2024.

Lyle, or as many people called him, Lyle, was born September 3, 1952, and left us entirely too soon. While we all expected Wile E. Coyote would have dropped an anvil on his head, it was cancer that took him so suddenly from us.

After spending his childhood in Havre MT, he spent a number of years working in some of San Francisco's most successful restaurants. Lyle returned home to Montana in 1979 and soon met the love of his life, Katie Cossitt of Broadus MT. On June 29, 1981 Lyle and Katie were married, in Havre MT. He and Katie started a family not long after, with his "buddy" James (JP) coming along first, followed two years later by his "rascal" Natosha (Tosh). Years later Katie began feeding a stray that was coming around and eventually Lyle accepted a dad role for their "stray cat" Dylan.

Lyle and the family came to Butte in 1993 when he took over as the General Manager of the War Bonnet Inn and quickly forged friendships that lasted a lifetime, prime among them Dan and Jim Sheehan. He eventually resurrected the Acoma, painstakingly saving it from the wrecking ball, and returning a Butte icon to glory. Along with Katie and his brother Pete, the Acoma's new head chef, the Acoma became a first class operation and remained so all the years that Lyle served as its owner. He went on to manage Sparky's Garage in Butte for the Drew family, with whom he became close friends, and worked together to make it the exceptional restaurant it is today. He will be sorely missed by family and innumerable friends that he left behind, as well as the broader Butte community.

Lyle was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Vivian Nalivka; his maternal and paternal grandparents; his brother Paul Nalivka Jr.; his sisters Vee Ann Lammerding, Renee Nalivka, and Gay Nalivka. He is survived by his wife of 43 years , Katie Nalivka, of Butte; son, James (Nareeya) Nalivka of Concord, CA; daughter, Natosha (Mike) McCullar; son, Dylan (Rebecca) Waite of Huntingdon, UK; his granddaughters, Kaelyn and Kennedy McCullar; his brother Pete Nalivka, all of Butte; his brother, David (Chong) Nalivka of Spring Valley, CA; his sisters Mary (Pat) Jensen of Havre; and Sharon Hancock of Great Falls.

At Lyle's request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. Instead, he asked that friends and loved ones raise their glasses and think of him.