James "Jim" Vukonich

James "Jim" Vukonich passed away Monday, June 30 of (natural causes. He was born on a farm near Boyd, Montana on May 30, 1933, the only son of Philip and Thelma Vukonich. In 1942 they moved to Billings where Jim completed his education and graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1951. He then served four years in the Air Force, including a stint in the Korean war.

In 1956 he was discharged from the Air Force and returned to Billings where he attended Eastern Montana College for a year. He married Lola Brown in 1957, and they moved to Missoula, Montana where he attended University of Montana and completed a B.S degree in Wildlife Technology. He worked for the University for four years after graduation, and then went into the Park Service where he worked as a park ranger in various parks in the southwest, including Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, Capulin Mountain National Monument in New Mexico, and Big Bend National Park in Texas. He retired from the Park Service in 1992 and returned to Billings where he and Lola both had parents.

Jim was a sportsman through and through. He loved to hunt and fish, played basketball, bowled, pitched horseshoes, played pickle ball, played golf, enjoyed hiking and nearly all outdoor activities. Jim and Lola were also involved in square dancing.

He is survived by his wife, Lola; two sons, Dan Vukonich of Billings and Ben Vukonich of Helena; three grandchildren Cody Vukonich of Helena, Matt Vukonich of Washington, D.C., Patricia Vukonich of Billings, and one great grandchild, Zoe Vukonich.. He was preceded in death by his parents, Phil and Thelma Vukonich.