Doug Ervin Sharbono

Doug Sharbono, 66, died Wednesday April 8, 2026 at his home along the Clark's Fork.   

   He was born in Sidney to Ervin Reno and Hannelore Sieglinda (Kanngiesser) Sharbono December 6, 1959.  Doug attended the majority of his school years at Park City Schools, though graduating in 1978 from Billings West High School.  Following graduation, he hired on at the railroad in track maintenance before becoming a Switch man/brakeman and eventually a locomotive engineer with Montana Rail Link before retiring in 2020. 

Doug met Valarie Bausell in late 1979 and they were married August 21, 1982 in Laurel.  Together they raised three children.  Doug and his family thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and hunting.  He was very proud of his children and looked forward to attending the sporting events they participated in while in school.  Reading seemed to be a passion for Doug while on the road and waiting to mark up to bring the train back to the yard.  His interests primarily were the mountain man era (he also liked to trap from an early age !) and the plains war period of history.  Doug helped his parents with their place on the Clark's Fork River and was knowledgeable of the trapping history of this area.  Val and Doug eventually built a home near the home place.

Preceding him in death were his grandparents and his father Ervin Sharbono.

Left to cherish Doug’s memory is his wife Valarie of 46 years; children Matt (Monica) Sharbono, Ashley (Toby) Tooke and Kery (Rob) Buhl; mother Hannelore Sharbono;  grandchildren Cole, Landon, Cianna, Sydnie, Abbigail, Monroe and Lillian;siblings Sieglinda (Dan) Dodder, Cindy Sharbono, Delores (Noel) Potter and Roxanne Sharbono; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and friends.

A Memorial Celebration of Doug's life will be held 1:00 pm Sunday May 3, 2026 at the Joliet Community Center.