Gary Leppart

Gary Leppart

BILLINGS - Montana lost a wildlife photographer, writer, and amateur historian on October 1, 2023, with the passing of Gary Leppart.

Gary Kenneth Leppart was born June 12, 1941, in Baker, Montana. He was the son of Kenneth and Betty Leppart. His mother later married Ted Cornell, long-time Billings County (Medora, North Dakota) sheriff.

Gary grew up in the Medora area. He loved good books, the outdoors, wildlife, and wild places. He was an avid historian, wildlife photographer, writer, collector of western Americana, and thousands of books.

Many of his photographs have appeared in regional and national magazines, books, calendars, and postcards.

In May 2004, the first book in which he was the sole photographer was released to the public. Golden Eagle, Sovereign of the Skies was created in conjunction with author, Dr. Charles R. Preston of the Buffalo Bill Center of the American West, Cody, WY. Leppart was in love with Montana and its wildlife.

In 2007, Leppart wrote and published a historic photography book of his hometown, Medora.

On June 19, 1965, Leppart was married to Betty Jean Rossell in Billings, MT. The couple was later blessed with three daughters.

Gary began his professional career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1960 and worked with that agency in both North Dakota and Montana until 1967 when he entered military service during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at the Army Chemical Center, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, until his discharge in 1969.

After his discharge, the couple moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, where Gary found employment in state government. He worked for the state of North Dakota until 1977, serving as Assistant Director of the State Tourism Department and was later appointed by the Governor as North Dakota Parks and Recreation Director. Gary often said that one of his proudest accomplishments was the successful enactment of state legislation, which he authored, that designated the Little Missouri River in southwestern North Dakota, a state scenic river. At the time of the river legislation, a dam was proposed on the mainstream Little Missouri as well as dams on several tributary streams as part of the West-River Diversion Project. The Scenic River designation prevented dam construction and the Little Missouri remains a free-flowing river to this day. Under Gary's leadership, Fort Ransom State Park was added to the state parks system, and a state nature preserve system was also established to protect sensitive and unique landscapes, plants, animals, and paleontological sites. In 1977, Leppart returned to work with the federal government, when he accepted an assignment with the Bureau of Land Management in Lewistown, Montana, where he directed a planning team responsible for writing the first management plan for the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River. Gary worked for the BLM for 22 years in a number of capacities in Lewistown, Butte, and Billings, retiring in 1999.

Leppart is survived by his wife Betty of Billings, daughters Kori Leppart (Steve) Butts of Laurel, Laura (Mark) Agar of rural Molt, and Karen (Jesse) Deming, Poulsbo, Washington, and seven grandchildren, Jacob and Emily Agar, Molt, Matthieu and Dakotah Butts, Laurel, Blake (Marissa), Josh and Elisa (Ellie) Deming, Poulsbo, WA.

He is also survived by one sister, Joanne (Denis) Joyce of Medora, North Dakota, and four half-sisters, Betty Lu (Gary) Banyai and Linda (Ken) Haught of Dickinson, North Dakota, Carol (Paul) Finneman of Bismarck and Sara (Brad) Onarheim of Elk River, Minnesota.

He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Leppart, mother, Mrs. Ted Cornell of Medora, North Dakota, his stepfather, Fredrick (Ted) Lewis Cornell, his sister Bonnie, two brothers, David and Douglas, and his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Gary's memorial service will be held at Dahl's Funeral Chapel located at 10 Yellowstone Avenue, Billings, MT on Saturday, October 14, at 11 a.m. The interment will be at a later date.