Leroy James Pezoldt

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Leroy “Roy” James Pezoldt left this life to join his beloved wife, Marilyn, on January 29, 2025, following a brief battle with cancer. He passed peacefully in his home, as he wished, in Bozeman, MT. Roy was born on March 19, 1933, in Colorado Springs, CO, to Raymond and Doris Pezoldt.

 Roy lived the first three years of his life on the family farm near Fountain, CO. He remembered being very excited watching his dad put new rubber tires on the tractor, and giving it a shiny new paint job. He soon learned that his dad was selling the family farm to open a full service garage in Colorado Springs. He learned the value of hard work, working alongside his dad, pumping gas, changing oil, and replacing tires and batteries.

 His real passion as a boy was playing sports. He excelled at baseball, and especially, football. He started his high school football career on the offensive line as a guard, but when his coach saw how far and accurate he could throw a football, he was soon moved to quarterback, which he starred at in high school, and later at Pueblo Junior College, now the University of Southern Colorado. It was at Pueblo Junior College that he attracted the attention of Montana State head football coach, Tony Storti. It didn’t take much for Coach Storti to convince Roy to accept a football scholarship for the Bobcats at Montana State College, now Montana State University. Roy enrolled at Montana State in the fall of 1954 and was the starting quarterback for the Bobcats during the 1954 and 1955 seasons. Roy often said that going to Montana State was what put his life on the right track. He was a lifelong Bobcats supporter, and active in the Quarterback Club.

 Living in Montana gave Roy a lifelong love of the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, hobbies he pursued his entire life. But by far the best thing to happen while attending Montana State was meeting his future wife, Marilyn Staudaher. It was love at first sight for Roy. They began dating in the spring of 1955, and the whirlwind romance led to a July 31, 1955, wedding, starting a marriage that lasted nearly 65 years, before Marilyn preceded him in death.

 After graduating college, Roy began a career with Exxon, spanning 35 years, across 5 states. Roy and Marilyn raised 3 boys, Greg, Doug, and Jim, to whom he passed along his love of the outdoors and sports. Upon retiring from Exxon, Roy and Marilyn moved back to their beloved Montana, where they started Romar Ranch, just outside Columbus, MT, raising cutting horses. In 2013, they officially retired back in Bozeman, where their life together began. Roy spent his golden years enjoying golf with his friends at Valley View Golf Club.

 Roy was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marilyn, his parents, Raymond and Doris Pezoldt, and his older sister, Wanda Roe. He is survived by his younger sister Doris Ruth Benton; sons, Greg, Doug (Debbie), and Jim (Laurie). He also leaves behind four grandchildren, Dalton (Allison), Randi (Pat), Erin, and Matt (Erin); and three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Ellie, and Maisy.

 A Celebration of Roy’s Life will be held Saturday, February 8, 2025, 1:00 p.m., at Dahl Funeral and Cremation Service, 300 Highland Blvd, Bozeman, MT. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), or the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).