Brooke Anne Metcalf Bare

Brooke Anne Metcalf Bare lived a life full of compassion, generosity, and laughter. Born on October 29, 1985, she grew up on the Metcalf ranch southeast of Big Timber, Montana, the beloved daughter of her rancher father Remi and her mother Susan, who was an English teacher. Consequently, Brooke was a blend of riding horses and quoting Shakespeare.
A proud Herder, she graduated from Sweet Grass County High School. Brooke thrived on competition in academics and on the basketball and volleyball courts, and she loved singing. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from Montana State University in Bozeman, setting the stage for a career that would blend creativity, entrepreneurship, and community.
After college, Brooke worked as a marketing specialist at HDR Engineering in Billings. On December 5, 2009, she married Doug Bare, and embraced her role as stepmother to his son, Izak. Together, they welcomed two more sons-Alex in 2010 and Jasper in 2015. Following Alex's birth, the Bares returned to Big Timber to raise their family in the place that had always held Brooke's heart.
Brooke worked for the Big Timber Pioneer and later at the Clerk and Recorder's office, but her true calling was in the kitchen. In June 2021, she realized her dream by opening Crazy Peak Boutique/Eatery on McLeod Street. A unique fusion of retail and restaurant, the boutique reflected Brooke's vibrant spirit-offering gifts, clothing, jewelry, and most memorably, her food. Her soup and lobster rolls were community favorites.
Brooke was an instinctive cook who never followed recipes-she cooked by taste, by feel, and always with love. When she wasn't cooking, she was watching cooking shows, dreaming up new ideas to share her passion with her patrons. Brooke and Doug divorced in 2023 leaving her a very busy single mom running a business with the help of her mother and several dedicated and talented employees.
As a business owner, she loved to donate and give back to the community that had raised and continued to support her. When the schools found themselves without kitchen staff at the start of the 2024-25 school year, Brooke did not hesitate. She stepped up and fed the hundred plus students who requested food every day for a month until a new staff could be hired.
Brooke loved large in life and in death. As a successful organ donor, her final act was one of profound generosity-giving others the chance to live through her selfless gift. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and a quick smile. Brooke will be deeply missed by her family and community, her sons Izak, Alex, and Jasper, her extended family, and the countless friends and customers whose lives she touched with her food and her heart.
Brooke was preceded in death by her grandparents, Roy and Carol Metcalf and Glen and Florence Roberts. She is survived by her parents, Remi and Susan Metcalf, her brother, Bret, her ex-husband Doug, her sons Izak, Alex, and Jasper, her aunt Jane (Shawn) Bellows, her aunt Renee (Leland) Thill, and her cousins, Cedar Bellows, Michelle Metcalf, and Christopher (Hannah) Sundquist, and their children Colt, Cooper, Grayson, and Landon.
A celebration of Brooke's life will be held on November 21, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. at the Evangelical Church in Big Timber. Interment will be the following day as a private ceremony on the ranch where her memory will live on in every shared meal, every warm smile, and every act of kindness.
In lieu of flowers, you may choose to send a memorial to the charity of your choice.