Hellgate grad Henri Naughton explores Arizona

Maybe it’s that he excels both in playing classical cello and surfing the wild waves of the Lochsa River, or the way his thoughtful study of history belies his prowess in school sports. Or maybe it’s simply that Naughton, 18, is himself deeply curious about seemingly everything he approaches. 

Hellgate High School teachers described Naughton, who graduated June 1, variously as humble, a team player, and a creative thinker. But the teachers, who responded separately to the Missoulian about their now-former student, all came back to the same word: curious. 

“There was always a courteousness in Henri, an innate politeness,” history teacher Courtney Christopher wrote in an email. “It cloaked burning questions about history. Those questions spanned time and space, from the Mongols to Estonia, disclosing the intelligence and curiosity he has for life.”