BILLINGS - Sally McIntosh died peacefully at her home in Billings on December 26, 2022, surrounded by her family. She was born in Billings, Montana on July 13, 1946, to Jacqueline and Joseph McIntosh. Growing up in the wonderful neighborhood of 2227 Spruce Street meant lots of kids to play with. During the summers, nightly kick-the-can games were followed by walks under the watchful eye of Buck Crowley to enjoy ice cream at the Milky Way. The grown-ups sat outside on their porches and visited while the kids played until bedtime.

Sally started school at Kate Fratt Memorial Grade School and graduated from Billings Central High School in 1964. She was a cheerleader, president of the Future Teachers of America, Homecoming Queen, and lead actress in the senior play, "I Remember Mama".

In 1968 Sally earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Montana. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and President of the Associated Women Students during her junior year. Following graduation, Sally moved to Long Island for her first year of a ten-year teaching career. Employed by "Students Abroad" in the summer of 1969, she assisted in leading a group of college students through Western Europe. In the fall of 1969 she moved to Berkeley, CA where she taught at the Bentley School in the Oakland Hills until 1971. While there, Sally enrolled at San Francisco State College in their Art History graduate program.

On her return to Billings in 1972, she married Branger Miller, moved to beautiful Absarokee for five years, but later they divorced. Her first child, Morgan Elizabeth, was born in Billings in 1973. The family moved to Boston in 1980, where her son, Peter Angus was born in 1983. Sally moved into an eight-year School Administration career while employed as the Director of Student Services at the North Bennet Street School, a school dedicated to the education of fine craftsmanship in the North End of Boston.

In 1989, after the passing of her brother Bill, she returned to her hometown of Billings to operate the McIntosh Art Company founded by Bill in 1976. The business was located on Grand Avenue until she moved it back to Montana Avenue. In addition to the fine art and graphic design retail/wholesale business, she added the Bill McIntosh Gallery which featured more than 100 different art exhibits of local and regional artists. She became an active member of the art community. The Yellowstone Art Museum honored Sally by naming her Volunteer of the Year in 2013, and Educator of the Year in 2019. She served on the boards of the Billings Depot, Big Brothers and Sister of Yellowstone County, and the East Rosebud Lake Association. Sally served as president of the ArtWalk from 2006-2014. She was founder and director of the Summer Art Academy, a weeklong summer art camp for young artists ages 8-14, which ran from 2000-2019. In 2010 Sally was named Director of the Ryniker-Morrison Galley at Rocky Mountain College and also taught a class there on "How to Run a Gallery". In 2016 she became the Adult Program Coordinator at the Yellowstone Art Museum where she directed the adult art education program that included taking art classes to the Montana Women's Prison. In September of 2022, at The Night at the Yellowstone Art Museum Gala, the evening honored Sally, a former YAM Art Educator whose dedication to art, students, and the YAM has inspired countless members of our community.

Sally is survived by her daughter, Morgan Elizabeth (Daniel) Warthin of Bozeman; son, Dr. Peter Miller of New York City; dear brothers, Dr. Tom (Sandra) McIntosh of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Joe (Meg) McIntosh of Seattle, WA; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Judy, brother Bill, and her daughter Whitney.

A Celebration of Life will be at Dahl Funeral Chapel on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 11:00 AM. A reception will follow at noon at YAM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the McIntosh Art Company Scholarship at the Yellowstone Art Museum, https://www.artmuseum.org/ or call 406-256-6804.

A note from Morgan and Peter: "We're serious this time."

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Billings Gazette on Dec. 29, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for Sally McIntosh

9 Entries

Deborah Kline Sonderman

January 2, 2023

Sally what an amazing woman, she still is up there in heaven. A unique and exemplary force of inspiration, accomplishment, and information for artists and the art world of Billings and Southeastern Montana. I just wish I had, had more time to get together with her and we had lived closer. It was wonderful to work with her on any project we encountered together she was so knowledgeable, gracious and kind. She will be sorely missed. God Bless and Keep her family. Deborah Kline Sonderman

Vance Stevens

January 1, 2023

Well, heck. Sally´s a cool lady. She´s part of a triumvirate of friends of mine that are like art mentors to me: Sally, Lana Clymore, and Vicki Vanbuskirk. When you look up "art" in the dictionary, it says, "see also: Sally McIntosh." She was always so friendly and helpful to me, helping me with solutions to my "art" questions and needs for supplies. I got to know her pretty well, working next to her when I worked at Toucan Gallery for Vicki, where Lana had been also in past years. And her Morgan would stop in sometimes, so I was there when Morgan transformed into a Forest Ranger. And Peter would stop in to McIntosh Art, too. He and I went on and adventure to The Big Ice Cave in the Pryors, once. It´s neat how people like Sally come into your life and enrich it in so many ways. She´ll be missed!

Bonnie Eldredge

December 30, 2022

Always a bright spot in the day or experience, Sally! I met Sally when she first returned to run the BIll McIntosh Gallery. I had retired and was beginning my pursuit of watercolor. She was very helpful with recommended supplies, interest, etc. Thank you, Sally. Sympathies; she will surely be missed.

Sam Rankin

December 30, 2022

Sally was a sweet lady and loved by all of us, her friends.

Lori Bigwood-Pecarina

December 29, 2022

Your Mom was one of the kindest people. She had the gift of really listening, resolving problems, and making the world a better place. Her twinkling eyes and lovely smile brightened many lives including mine.

James S. O'Rourke, IV

December 29, 2022

I loved Sally for a dozen different reasons, but mostly because she was uncommonly kind to everyone. She was one of the cool girls in high school who would go out of her way to talk with someone (myself included) between classes or after school. She cared about what others thought, how they felt, and what mattered most to them. Life has brought us far too few people like Sally. While I'm intensely sad and will miss her all my days, I am delighted with the notion that she thought of me as a friend. Au revoir, mon ami. J. S. O'Rourke, IV