James Robert Graff

James Robert Graff, a cherished husband, father and grandfather, savvy businessman and an avid outdoorsman who loved Montana, his UM Grizzlies and decent Scotch, passed away on Dec. 16, 2025. He was 92 years old.

By no means is this a full accounting of his many joys and accomplishments. It doesn’t mention, for instance, his goofy, wonderful sense of humor or his love of plaid jackets. Following his death, many have described Jim as a one-of-a-kind character, and that certainly rings true to anyone lucky enough to have known him. What follows, though, are the straightforward words that Jim wrote not that long ago and what he wanted readers to know about what he would have described as his most excellent life:

Regarding my demise: This may surprise the reader, but I chose to write my own obituary for the Gazette. Why? Two reasons: Who knows me better than myself. Secondly, for nearly my entire adult life, I was a journalist.

I was born on Dec. 6, 1933, at Deaconess Hospital in Billings. My parents were Fred and Ina (MacMillan) Graff. I was raised in Laurel where my father was the superintendent of schools, and my mother was a part-time school teacher. I graduated from Laurel High in 1951. I loved my family very much. They were always good to me, probably better than I deserved.

I was a life-long Christian, baptized when I was an infant and raised in the Methodist faith. Upon my marriage at First Presbyterian Church in Billings in 1961, I became a Presbyterian and remained in that faith, serving for a time as a church elder.

After two years at the University of Montana at Missoula (Go, Griz!) I volunteered for the Korean War in the U.S. Army in 1955.

After 22 months in the U.S. Army, I received an Honorable Discharge as Private First Class. While on leave from the Army, I married my high school sweetheart, Jean Renner, at Laurel. Jean contracted cancer of the lymph nodes and passed away after two years. I then re-entered The University under the G.I. Bill.

As a university student, I continued my classes at the School of Journalism, graduating in June 1957. (My parents were highly pleased!) That summer, I was hired at the Billings Gazette as a specialist in advertising, production and sales. Those years were good years for me. I learned the fine art of alpine skiing, which stuck with me the rest of my life, and through that sport, I met the love of my life, Louise Riddle, at the headwall ski races high up in the Beartooths.

If anyone had a perfect mate and longtime companion, it was me. I cannot describe my love and devotion for Louise. She was, without question, a devoted mom to our three daughters and our six grandchildren. Louise was always there for me when I needed her comfort and her constant encouragement. We were married for 64 years.

After work at the Gazette, my career continued at Sage Advertising in Helena with such clients as Yellowstone Park, where we lived for a summer, and Kampgrounds of America. We left Helena for Billings, and I worked with KOA at its corporate office. After 11 years, I started an advertising and public relations firm, Advertising Edge, that I led for 20 years before selling the company. I was an adjunct professor at Rocky Mountain College for a time and was fortunate to serve on the boards of numerous community organizations, including the Rotary Club and the J.K. Ralston Studio Foundation. I was also one of the original directors of Red Lodge Mountain and skied there for some 60 years, well into my 80s, until Louise apparently hid my skis.

I have skied most of the fabled ski areas in the Rockies and several in the Swiss/Austrian Alps. Louise and I passed the joy of skiing onto our three daughters and our six grandchildren. All of them ski very well, I must say.

Fishing and hunting? I loved them both with gusto. My Dad started me out as a youngster, and I hung in there a long time. I preferred dry-fly fishing for trout, mostly in the mountain streams.

Rock climbing was another fetish of mine. My rope partners were mostly my wintertime skiing buddies. We climbed Granite Peak, Pilot/Index, The Grand Tetons and other notable mountains. Good times in high places.

By now you can detect that the mountains and I were inseparable. Louise and I enjoyed traveling through them — and traveling in general — and our second home was near Red Lodge and the Beartooth Mountains. Our cabin was on the West Fork of Rock Creek and a haven for us since 1980. We had many cherished times there with our children and grandchildren.

Our daughters, Heidi, Heather and Crystal, were, and continue to be, treasures. We could not ask for any better, and I have always been proud of their endeavors. They each married fine men, all Montanans. Our six grandchildren are now grown adults. Each is such a pleasure, and I have fond memories of them all. I’ve been blessed, too, with many dear friends, near and far. They have enriched my life on this Earth.

I was preceded in death by my parents, my brother Don and my sister Dorothy. I am survived by Louise, our daughters Heidi Parkes (John), Heather Rieland (Dan) and Crystal Ehli (Nick), grandchildren Hannah, Rachel, Mariel, Bridger, Lance and Mackenzie, and a now growing number of great-grandchildren.

If you’d like, memorials can be made to First Presbyterian Church, Young Life or the Montana Rescue Mission. I’d also like to thank the staff at Langemo Cottage in Billings for their care during my last year.

A celebration of my life will take place this summer, somewhere in my beloved mountains of Montana.