Jeffrey Rupp

Jeffrey Keith Rupp passed away on February 20, 2025 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jeff was born on September 23, 1950, to Clarence Rupp and Mary Frank Rupp. He grew up on a small family farm on the Huntley Project in Worden, MT, where he learned the values of hard work and community advocacy from his parents. He participated in 4H and FFA and remembered fondly his trips to MSU for state FFA conventions. After graduating from Huntley Project High School, he attended MSU on an agriculture scholarship eventually changing his major to history and political science which were his true passions.

At MSU, he was introduced to Dorothy Eck who recruited him to intern in Helena for the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. He considered this a life changing event, where he met those he considered to be the brightest minds in Montana. Dorothy continued to mentor him the rest of his life.

After college, Jeff worked for Senator Dorgan of North Dakota, in the Mayor's office in Chicago (which he hated) and eventually made his way back to Montana working various jobs in the governor's office. It was in Helena where he met his future wife, Eileen Carpenter. He often said marrying her was the best decision of his life.

He moved back to Bozeman in 1981 to serve as the executive director of the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC), a position he held for the next 35 years. Under his leadership, HRDC expanded programming to the broad array of services it offers today, by establishing a stronger connection between the nonprofit, local, state, and federal governments. Some of the work Jeff oversaw included: creating the state's first food bank; partnering with local potato farmers to glean potatoes from their fields; Montana's first community affordable Land Trust, eventually sharing this success with other towns across Montana at the request of the State Legislature; established the Montana Conservation Corp, an organization dedicated to inspiring young people to be stewards of the land, with his colleagues in Kalispell and Billings; created Montana's first free public bus system; and was part of the original team which started Head Start along with Bozeman Public Schools and Montana State University.

In addition to his work with HRDC, Jeff served on the Bozeman City Commission for one term (one term was enough), was a founding board member of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and served on numerous other local, state, and national boards.

As a result of his hard work, he was recognized with a key to the city by Mayor Carson Taylor in 2016. Jeff loved Bozeman and believed that helping people made the community a stronger and a healthier place to live.

He was a lifelong fan of Detroit sports, although he quipped the teams continued to disappoint him until the very end. He was also an avid Bobcat fan.

Jeff was most proud of the family he and Eileen built together. He is survived by his wife, Eileen Carpenter; his children, Elizabeth Anne Rupp (Amit Sadana), Katie Rupp (Francis Iacobucci), Jenny Rupp, and Tommy Rupp; his beloved grandchildren, Kieran and Liam Sadana; as well as his brothers, Randy (Laurel) Rupp, and David (Janie) Rupp, and his sister, Terri (Shane) Wiggins. He was also a proud 'uncle-grandpa' to many great nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jeff's honor to the HRDC, 32 S Tracy Ave, Bozeman MT 59715; or to Eagle Mount, 6901 Goldenstein Ln, Bozeman MT 59715; or a charity of your choice.