Timothy Mark Iudicello

Timothy Mark Iudicello—beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend—passed from this life on March 31, 2024. Diagnosed with cancer just 20 days before, Tim had a very short time to ready himself for death. He spent that time, as he spent all his time, in accepting facts as they were, in spending quality time with those he loved, in bearing the incredible pain of his cancer without complaint, and in nourishing himself with the simple beauties life affords: playing guitar, petting the dogs, sitting in the sun, resting with his arm around the shoulder of one of his kids. In all he did, Tim demonstrated that the quiet, small moments in life are the deepest.

Born in Allentown, PA, to Joseph and Sonia Iudicello, Tim was the elder sibling to sister Holly and brother Jeff. From his earliest years, he showed an incredible aptitude for curiosity, self direction, and patient application. He attended Wheaton College where many of the deep and abiding friendships that sustained him were formed, including the one with his wife, Lindsay. 

In 1999, Tim and Lindsay, moved to Montana with no concrete plan, but an idea of starting their marriage in a place that could accommodate itself to these lines from Wendell Berry: “A place where thought can take its shape/ As quietly in the mind as water in a pitcher.” For them, Montana proved to be just such a place. Tim completed a Masters in Philosophy at the University of Montana and, in the early years of their marriage, Tim and Lindsay acquired a small kitchen-based soap company to supplement their income during the grad school years. Within a few years, sons Corin and Seth and daughter Birtie joined them. Over time and with sustained effort, Tim turned their small soap business into a thriving manufacturing business, Botanie Soap. His dedication to his work was only surpassed by his dedication to his family. Nothing made Tim happier or more proud than life with his children.

Throughout his life, Tim was governed by a deep, inborn sense of himself. Like an internal compass, this feature of his character kept him trained on trusting his judgment, working diligently on things that mattered, asking questions of his life, and appreciating quality and beauty where he found them. For Tim, anything worth doing was worth doing well and while he extended grace to others, he never satisfied himself with any effort that was less than his best. Cancer, he said, was the first thing he could not conquer by self-application and work.   

Tim is survived and missed beyond measure by his wife, Lindsay (Joss) and children Corin, Seth and Birtie Iudicello, parents Joseph and Sonia Iudicello, sister Holly Iudicello, brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Elsie (Palacios) Iudicello, numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews and deeply held friends. 

A memorial service for Tim will be held Friday, April 5th,10 am at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. Donations to All God’s Children International, the agency through which daughter Birtie came home, or Soft Landing Missoula are great ways to memorialize Tim’s life. Finally, pour a glass of something you enjoy and sit beneath the stars in silence. Taking the time to savor and think is an excellent way to honor him.