Julian K. “Sonny Boy” Shields Jr. of Wolf Point, Montana, passed away peacefully at Trinity Hospital on January 2, 2024, surrounded by his family. A member of the Fort Peck Tribe, he was born in Poplar, Montana, on August 4, 1950, to Viola Red Elk and Julian Shields Sr.
Among his achievements were earning a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Montana State University in Billings, Montana and his Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He worked in Indian Country in a variety of capacities from Portland, OR to Gallup, NM, including the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the social work field. Julian returned home to serve his community at Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) and as the Tribal Health Director for Fort Peck until 2023.
He had many interests, including gambling, dancing, reading, playing pool, watching crime documentaries, car, cooking, comedy, home repair shows, traveling, providing mentorship, and those who knew him well enjoyed having a few with him.
In addition to his many nieces, nephews, cousins, Michelene, Michael Jr, John, and Lucinda. Julian is survived by his wife of 44 years, Veronica Firemoon-Shields; daughters, Summer Firemoon and Tanya Firemoon (Chris); and grandchildren, Eli Firemoon and Turqoyez Foote.
He is preceded in death by his mother, father, siblings Joseph, Celeste, Melinda, and Marian. “Earn Your Way” was one of his favorite sayings, and he truly earned his way. He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him.
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